x-..;s'^^-^ 


^fj'^fv 


A/i(si, 


J'Z^JVV^ 


'V 


z> 


V^cC 


'■, 


cr<i  ^cv^ 


:/^/rf>. 


"^  f  <     \^ 


o 

PQ 

w 
K 
H 
O 
O 

b 

O 

(^ 
O 
m 


NOTES  OF  TRAVEL 


IN 


NORTHERN  EUROPE 


BY 


CHARLES    A.    SUMNER. 


WITH   VIEWS,   PORTRAITS,   MAPS,    AND    PLANS,    ENGRAVED   EXPRESSLY 
FOR   THIS   BOOK.       A.  L.   RAWSON,  ARTIST. 


'    .    »«     a 


NEW   YORK: 
ANDREW  J.  GRAHAM,   744  BROADWAY. 

1886. 


V 


Copyrighted,  1885, 

BY 

CHARLES   A.   SUMNER. 


^■^ 


/T 


TO   MY    WIFE 


AND   TO 


MY  DAUGHTER  ESTHER, 


MY      COMPANIONS       IN      THESE 


JOURNEYINGS, 


THIS    VOLUME 


Ji8()J2SS 


JlONATELY   INSCRIBED. 


CONTENTS. 


I.  PAGE 

From  London  to  Gothenburg n 

II. 
First  Objects  of  Observation ig 

III. 

Public    Institutions 29 

IV. 
The   Gotha   Canal. — Trolhattan 37 

V. 
Trolhattan  to  Venersborg 53 

VI. 

Venersborg  to  Stockholm 62 

VII. 

Stockholm  to  Stromsholm  Castle 7q 

VIII. 
Monktorp  to  Kolbeck 87 

IX. 

In  the   Kolbeck    Parish loi 

X. 

The  Stromsholm  Vardshus  Family  and   Neighbors 113 

XI. 
Stromsholm  to  Vestanfors 122 

XII. 
At  Smedjbacken 134 


vi  CONTENTS. 

xiii- 

Delecarlia. — Smedjbacken  to  Leksand 141 

XIV. 
Leksand  to  Mora 152 

XV. 
At  Mora  and    Utmeland 166 

XVI. 
From  Mora  to   Falun 182 

XVII. 
At  Falun  ;    and  thence   to  Westeras 190 

XVIII. 
A  Week  at  Westeras 203 

XIX. 
To  and  in  Upsala : 218 

XX. 
At    Stockholm 236 

XXI. 
King  and  People 260 

XXII. 

From  Stockholm  to  Malmo 274 

XXIII. 
Copenhagen 298 

XXIV. 
From  Copenhagen  to  Stettin 310 

XXV. 
A  Glance  at  Berlin 316 

XXVI. 
Berlin  to'Dover.     A  few  Notes  at  Dresden,  Cologne,  and  Paris.   331 


List  of  Illustrations. 


♦  ■»  ♦- — — 

PAGE 


Harbor  of  Gothenburg.      Frontispiece 

Steamship  "Alaska" 12 

Hotel   Christiania iq 

The  Bourse  and  Ostra  Street,   Gothenburg 24 

Statue  of  Gustavus  Adolphus 26 

Mauritz  Rubcnson,  President  of  Board  of  Practical  Education.     40 

Sidney  W.   Cooper,  U.  S.  Consul  to  Gothenburg 45 

Canal  Locks,  near  Trolhattan 48 

Trolhattan  Falls 54 

Venersborg 5g 

Vadstena   Castle 71 

Gotha  Canal,  near   Borenshult 73 

Brunneby 74 

Cloister  Church 75 

Soderkoping 76 

Grave  of  Baron  von  Platen 76 

Mem 77 

Horningsholm 78 

Strengnas  Cathedral 80 

Stromsholm    Castle 81 

Charles  IX.   Statue 84 

Landlady  of  Vardshus 121 

Skansen  Locks 126 

Leksand    Church 14^ 

Mora 153 

Cottage  Scene  in   Delecarlia 157 


yiii  LIST    OF   ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAGE 

Mora-Kulla 162 

Gustavus  Wasa's  Concealment 173 

Monument  of  Gustavus  Wasa 177 

Rattvik    Church 181 

Ornas 189 

Falun. — View  of  Market,  Cathedral,  and  Copper  Hill  Range. . . .    191 

B.  V.   Norstedt I93 

The  Stoten  Abyss 195 

Map  of  Southern  Sweden 202 

A.  P.  Erickson,  Keeper  of  Westeras  Castle 205 

Interior  of  Westeras  Cathedral 208 

Statue  of  Gustavus  Wasa 216 

Skokloster 221 

General  View  of  Upsala  Castle  and  Cathedral 223 

Upsala  Cathedral 227 

Upsala  University  Library 232 

New  University  Building,  Upsala 233 

View  of  Hasselbacken,   Stockholm 246 

English  Church,   Stockholm 250 

The  Royal  Palace,   Stockholm 252 

Riddarholmen   Church,  Stockholm 255 

Interior  of  Jacob  Church,   Stockholm 256 

King's  Theatre,  Stockholm 258 

National  Museum,  Stockholm 259 

Gustaf  Adolph  Square,   Stockholm 265 

Bird's-eye  View  of  Stockholm 269 

Norrk oping  Public  School 275 

Linkoping  Cathedral 277 

Prof.  Victor  Hugo  Wickstrom,  of  Lund 279 

Lund  Cathedral 280 

Crypt  of  Lund  Cathedral 282 

New   University  Hall,  Lund 283 

Malmo   Castle 286 

Malmo  City  Hall 287 

St.  Peter's  Church,  Malmo 289 

Kockumska  Hus 290 

Flat  and  Side  View  of  Swedish  Bread 292 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS.  ix 

PAGE 

Costumes  in  Skane 294 

Our  Malmo  Entertainers 297 

Map  of  North  Germany 299 

Plan  cf   Copenhagen 303 

Stettin 315 

KaiserhofT,   Berlin ; 318 

Royal   Palace,   Berlin 327 

Berlin   and   Vicinity 329 

Central  Portion  of  Dresden 333 

Bruhl  Terrace 336 

Helbig's   Restaurant. 337 

Ths   Belvedere 338 

Old  Bridge  and  Cathedral,  Dresden 340 

Grosse  Gardens,   Palace,  and   Lake 344 

Royal  Museum  and   Theatre 351 

Zvvingcr  Court-yard 352 

Rev.  H.  R.  Haweis 355 

Great  Choir  and  High  Altar,  Cologne  Cathedral 359 

Main  Aisle  of  Cologne  Cathedral 361 

Arcii  of  Triumph 364 

Tomb  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte 366 

Palais   Royal,  Paris 368 

Grand   Opera   House,  Paris 369 

Grand  Stairway  of  Opera  House,  Paris 371 

The  Seven   Bridges  of   Paris 373 

Steamship  "City  of   Berlin" 381 

Cliffs  of  Dover 382 


KOTES    OF  TRAVEL 

IN 

NOETHERN    EUROPE. 


I. 

FEOM  LONDON  TO   GOTHENBURG. 

Thursday,  the  21st  of  June,  was  a  foggy,  drizzly  day,  in 
London;  such  a  day  as  Englishmen  appear  to  delight  in 
calling  "nasty."  The  walking  in  the  streets  where  the  mud 
was  about  the  composition  of  the  inside  of  an  average  loaf 
of  London  baker's  bread  was  declared  to  be  "beastly." 
[You  must  not  say  that  you  have  been  or  are  liable  to  be 
seasick;  you  must  not  employ  that  term  when  speaking  in 
"society"  in  the  metropolis;  you  must  or  may  admit  that 
you  are  not  a  good  traveler;  but  "nasty"  and  "beastly" 
are  words  frequently  used  by  ladies  and  gentlemen  in  con- 
versation at  a  fashionable  dinner-party.  The  former  is  pro- 
nounced with  a  breadth  of  accent  on  the  "a"  that  is  of  itself 
at  first  almost  medicinal  to  a  stranger  from  Yankeeland.] 

We  are  glad  to  get  on  board  the  Belle  at  G  o'clock  at 
night — out  of  the  rain.  And  such  a  long  carriage-ride  as  it 
is  from  Eussell  Square  to  the  steamer-landing;  no  end  of 
streets,  and  ever-changing  variety  of  trades  and  inhabitants. 
The  incomprehensible  immensity  of  this  tremendous  city 
again  fairly  oppresses  ais. 

The  Gothenburg  steamer  starts  from  Mill  wall  Docks, 
London,  at  1  o'clock  in  the  morning.  You  are  requested  to 
be  on  board  not  later  than  9  o'clock,  the  evening  before 
sailing.  And  we  found  that  most  of  the  passengers  were 
at  the  suppei'-table,  which  was  spread  at  8  p.  m 

(11) 


12 


NOR  THE  UN    E  UIl  OPE. 


The  J^elle,  Captain  C.  A.  Petterson,  is  of  1400  toDS  register 
and  a  thousand-horsepower,  capable  of  maldng  300  miles  a 
day  in  g'ood  weather.  Wiiat  further  is  to  be  joroperly  re- 
corded in  this  connection  should  be  the  fact  that  the  vessel 
is  very  neat,  and  the  food  most  excellent  in  material  and 
cooking",  and  the  service  "all  that  conld  be  desired."  We 
coiild  not  refrain  from  mutual  confessions  of  a  sense  of 
"cramped  conditions,"' — though  in  no  manner  or  degree 
complaining — after  oiu'  accommodations  on  the  mammoth 
"Alaska." 


THE    "ALASKA       AT    SEA. 


You  have  a  suggestion  of  Swedish  proximity  before  the 
supper-bell  rings;  you  are  invited  to  help  j'ourself  at  the 
side-shelf  or  smorgersbord,  on  which  is  spread  a  plentiful 
supply  of  bread  and  cheese,  and  cold  fish  and  cold  meats, 
cooked  or  cured  in  various  forms.  Admonished  by  the  ex- 
perience which  Du  Chaillu  so  vividh'  describes,  I  tasted 
with  great  caution,  lest  I  should  bite  a  morsel  that  re- 
quired an  educated  appetite  before  it  became  entirely  pal- 
atable. But  I  found  everything  not  only  eatable  on  first 
acquaintance,  l.^ut   decidedly  delicious.     O,  what  a  blessed 


LONDON  TO   GOTIIENBURO.  13 

cliange  from  the  pasty  bread  and  unsavory  meats  of  tbe 
London  restaurant!  I  do  believe  that  the  true  genealogy 
of  the  New-England  kitchen,  as  I  knew  it  in  my  boyhood,  is 
to  be  traced  not  to  our  Plymouth  forefathers'  hearths,  but 
to  the  ovens  of  the  Scandinavians,  who,  in  a  still  somewhat 
undetermined  century  preceded  the  Mayflower  immigration 
to  the  coast  of  Massachusetts  and  Rhode  Island.  Precisely 
how  this  happened  can  not  be  told :  but  there  are  strong 
grounds  —  such  as  are  called  in  philology  "inherent" — for 
this  sincere  conviction  or  faith. 

We  are  welcomed  by  the  Captain  himself,  saluting  in  his 
native  tongue,  and  then  speaking  in  that  charming  broken 
English  for  which  his  kinsmen  —  and  more  especially  his 
kinswomen  —  are  renowned.  And  when  he  learns  that  we 
are  from  California,  he  comes  again  to  us  from  the  fore- 
hatch,  where  he  had  been  Avatching  the  stevedores  load  his 
vessel,  and  talks  rapidly  and  earnestly  with  us  about  "the 
land  of  gold,"  and  incpiires  respecting  his  people  there. 

He  says  he  never  had  any  inclination  to  quit  his  native 
land  for  good.  In  fact,  he  never  leaves  her  shores  without 
a  pang  of  regret.  He  has  mingled  with  the  inhabitants  of 
many  nations;  gone  among  them  in  their  own  homes  as 
well  as  in  their  places  of  domestic  trade.  He  has  seen 
nowhere  that  mutual  love  and  affection  that  is  always  to  be 
observed,  he  says  —  and  he  utters  this  in  a  very  pleasant, 
kindly  way  —  in  his  dear  old  Sweden.  He  thinks  that  it  is 
well, — in  truth,  he  knows  that  it  is  well  —  that  multitudes 
should  leave  Sweden  to  settle  in  America;  and  he  rejoices 
that  there  is  such  a  country  for  them  to  go  to, —  under  the 
circumstances.  But  he  alwaj-s  looks  with  pity  upon  the 
poor  emigrants,  who  must  go  far,  far  away  from  their  be- 
loved kingdom.  All  this  he  says  without  ostentation  or  tlie 
slightest  sign  of  affectation.  He  means  what  he  says;  and 
he  does  not  intend  to  offensively  disparage  any  other 
country.  His  frank,  straightforward  manner  of  speech,  and 
his  entire  freedom  in  it  are  delightful,  to  the  point  even  of 
being  deserving  of  the  title  of  charming. 

In  his  intercourse  with  his  officers  and  men  and  the  pas- 


14  NORTHERN   EUROPE. 

sengers,  throughout  the  voyage,  he  endears  himself  to  us 
all ;  and  as  we  came  in  sight  of  land  the  last  day  out,  his 
"guests,"  as  he  called  them,  caught  each  other  halfway  in 
expressions  of  regret  on  account  of  our  separation  from 
such  a  master — "Just  what  I  was  going  to  say."  If  you 
should  ever  chance  to  make  this  trip,  my  dear  reader,  I 
advise  you  to  seek  a  passage  on  the  new  ship  that  is  being 
built  under  the  orders  of  this  model  and  "popular  com- 
mander." His  new  and  larger  boat  will  be  ready  in  October, 
188G. 

At  two  o'clock  Friday  morning  we  are  aroused  by  the 
noise  of  departure.  Looking  out  of  the  cabin-window  we 
appear  to  be  sailing  down  the  center  of  a  street.  We  are,  in 
fact,  passing  through  the  basin  that  connects  Millwall  Docks 
with  the  Thames.  At  six  o'clock  we  are  at  the  mouth  of  the 
great  river.  We  pass  close  alongside  of  two  wrecks  "of 
recent  manufacture"  as  one  of  the  sailors  explained;  and 
a  steamer  with  a  shifted  cargo,  signaling  for  a  pilot,  is  seen 
as  we  turn  the  corner  of  the  British  Kingdom,  and  begin 
moving  uji  in  the  direction  of  Y:;rmouth.  But  we  are  not 
going  to  hug  the  shore  so  far  up  as  the  home  of  Peggotty 
and  little  Em"ly.  O,  for  even  a  brief  telescoi^ic  squint  at 
the  veritable  fishing-grounds  of  Ham  and  his  guardian. 

The  offing  is  crowded  with  sail:  we  counted  thirteen  steam- 
ers with  the  prows  pointed  toward  London;  and  the  brigs 
and  schooners  are  literally  uncountable.  Nor  does  the  clus- 
ter thin  out  rapidly;  but  up  from  the  vasty  deep  new  incom- 
ers seem  to  rise,  for  some  time  after  we  had  "northered,"  al- 
most as  fast  as  the  score  of  crafts  we  met  at  the  mouth  of 
the  river  descended  from  our  sight.  We  were  disappointed 
in  not  meeting  as  many  vessels  as  we  expected  to  see  near 
Liverpool :  contrariwise,  we  are  content  on  this  side  of  John 
Bulls  dominions.  It  is  a  busy  part  of  the  Earth's  surface: 
these  waters  are  daily  vexed  at  every  angle. 

The  sea  is  not  rough  at  the  beginning  of  the  voyage,  and 
it  grows  more  calm  and  smooth  as  we  approach  the  Swedish 
harbor.  All  proved  to  be  "good  travelers"  on  this  trijD. 
There  is  a  party  of  four  Englishmen   and   Scotchmen  on 


LONDON  TO   GOTHENBURG.  15 

board,  under  care  of  a  professional  guide,  J.  G.  Bergquist, 
who  are  "})rogrammed"  for  Norway  and  Sweden,  and  perhaps 
a  part  of  Russia.     They  go  from  Gothenburg  to  Christiana, 

"and  so." 

"So,"  simple  "so,"  declaratively  and  inteiTogatively,  is  a 
favorite  expression  witli  the  Swedish  population  hereal)outs, 
for  '-That  is  so,"  and  '-Is  that  soT'  At  first  I  imaginedthat 
it  implied  incredulity.  Not  so.  "So,"  solus,  may,  with  a 
heavy  emphasis  or  sharp  rising  inflection,  indicate  great  sur- 
prise at  your  words,  but  has  no  signification  of  disbehef. 
At  times  it  appears  to  convey,  and  I  am  confident  it  does 
mean,  hearty  satisfaction  and  profound  gladness  on  account 
of  that  undoubted  statement  which  you  are  making— about 
America,  for  instance — to  your  Scandinavian  friend. 

We  hugged  the  English  coast  up  as  far  as  the  line  of 
Harwich,  when  we  turned  and  pointed  for  the  northern  cliffs 
of  Denmark.  As  the  land  fades  out  of  sight  I  count  the 
sail  within  our  horizon,  and  find  that  we  have  the  goodly 
company  of  twenty-three  vessels.  Although  the  sea  is  smooth, 
and  it  is  not  an  uncomfortable  occupation  to  simply  sit  on 
the  bridge-deck  and  watch  the  motion  of  the  boat,  and  listen 
to  such  bits  of  conversation  as  drift  toward  you,  we  feel 
anxious  to  get  a  closer  acquaintance  with  some  of  our 
fellow-passengers, —  knowing  that  that  can  not  be  a  difficult 
task  if  we  once  set  aggressively  about  it. 

We  have  for  one  of  our  companions  a  gentleman  of  about 
60  years  of  age,  whose  benevolent  countenance  would  be  a 
passport  into  cheerfully  inclined  company  anywhere.  He 
opens  communication  with  the  youngest-member  of  our  do- 
mestic circle,  and  at  once  establishes  relations  of  a  most 
cordial  character.  It  transpires  that  he  is  a  Scjtchman, —  a 
practical  mechanical  engineer.  His  card  shows  us  the  name 
of  J.  Jackson,  of  27  Walbrook,  London.  He  very  shortly  im- 
proves the  occasion  to  announce  himself  an  uncompromising 
Liberal,  an  ardent  admirer  of  Gladstone  and  John  Bright, 
and  a  missionary  for  free  trade.  He  can  quote  at  length  from 
Bright's  recent  speeches  at  Birmingham,  and  is  never  tked 


]6  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

of  speaking  of  Gladstone  as  a  -wonderful  man,  a  wonderful 
man,  a  wonderful  man. 

He  asked  me  about  the  general  feeling  in  America  on  the 
Irish  land  question ;  and  when  I  assured  him  that  the  large 
majority  of  our  people  deeply  sympathize  with  the  peasants, 
he  said  with  vehemence  that  they  ought  to, —  that  Ireland 
•was  most  outrageously  oj^pressed. 

On  the  second  day  out  the  passage  was  like  a  trip  up  the 
Hudson  or  the  Sacramento  River  with  respect  to  the  smooth- 
ness of  the  water  and  the  motion  of  the  steamer.  During 
the  entire  voyage  we  were  rarely  out  of  sight  of  sail.  As  we 
approached  Jutland  the  number  of  vessels  in  sight  raj^idly 
increased. 

Denmark  land  is  seen  at  2  p.  m.  of  the  second  day  from 
London  on  this  tri^^ ;  and  it  rises  and  lengthens  out  until  we 
swing  around  its  northern  promontory. 

We  pass  by  and  in  among  scores  of  fishing-boats  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  upper  lighthouse,  and  the  boys  in  their  skills 
hold  up  Specimens  of  their  catch  for  us  to  examine.  They 
spread  their  nets  on  steamer-days  with  a  view  of  getting  the 
benefit  of  a  '•scare"  toward  the  shore,  created  by  the  beat- 
ing of  the  screw. 

Sunday  w^as  Midsummer-day;  which  would  be  only  re- 
stating a  fact  of  the  calendar  for  the  northern  hemisphere 
in  any  other  country  but  Sweden  or  Norway.  Here  it  im- 
implies  a  great  deal:  hei'e  this  is  the  red-letter  day  of  all  the 
year,  as  may  be  noted  from  one  item  in  my  diary: — 

"On  Board  Steamship  Belle,  Sunilay  Morning,  June  24,  5.30  o'clock. 

"We  are  on  the  bridge  deck,  looking  through  the  Cap- 
tain's glass  for  land.  The  second  officer  points  out  where 
the  lighthouse  will  ''stick  up  his  nose"  when  we  shall  have 
arrived  at  the  point  of  the  globe  where  it  can  be  seen  by  the 
incoming  traveler.  The  air  coiild  not  be  clearer.  It  is  so 
pure  that  it  seems  as  though  j-ou  could  look  very  far  beyond 
the  line  of  the  horizon  of  the  sea. —  far  away  into  the  illim- 
itable sky  before  us.  Now  we  will  try  our  eyesight  again. 
*  *  *  One  of  our  English  fellow-passengers  has  just  cried 
out  that  he  has  detected  the  yellow  speck  that  must  mean. 


LONDON  TO    GOTHENBURG.  17 

being  proi^erly  interpreted,  the  sail  of  a  pilot-boat.  The 
discovery  is  confirmed  by  the  officer  on  deck,  and  ho  imme- 
diately told  us  where  to  look  to  see  an  unusually  white 
perpendicular  line  on  the  edge  of  the  ocean.  His  vision  is 
keenest  after  all.  And  this  is  the  first  taper  that  by  night, 
or  this  is  the  first  object  that  by  day  is  beheld  by  the  visitor 
or  the  returning  Swede,  who  comes  on  this  path  to  this 
northern  country.  *  *  *  The  little  shaft-cloud  rapidly 
developed  into  an  unmistakable  pillar  of  stone,  and  the 
coast-line  has  risen  up  beneath  and  round  about  it.  And 
this  is  Sweden!  —  the  ragged  edge  of  it,  at  least  —  that  we 
have  read  and  dreamed  so  much  about,  and  so  often  and 
so  devoutly  wished  to  see. 

"  One  year  ago  to-day  a  good  Scandinavian  friend  asked 
me  where  I  would  be  twelve  months  from  date,  provided  a 
certain  thing  happened;  and  I  jokingly  replied  that  I  would 
be  in  Sweden.  I  have  not  thought  of  the  pleasant  prophecy 
from  that  time  to  this  hour.  And  here  I  am  about  to  enter 
the  harbor  of  Gothenburg, — a  most  unexpected  fulfillment 
of  jocose,  conditional  foretelling.  The  pilot  has  just  come 
on  board,  direct  from  the  pilot  schooner,  and  not  as  with  us 
transported  to  the  ship  by  a  small  boat.  *  *  *  'We  are  in 
the  archipelago  —  in  an  intricate  channel  between  barren, 
rocky  islands.  We  are  meeting  many  gayly  dressed  little 
steamers,  crowded  with  people,  who  greet  us  with  cheers." 

Not  without  a  dry  vein  of  humor  is  Capt.  Petterson.  Sev- 
eral passengers,  in  an  eager  manner,  withoiit  due  considera- 
tion for  his  proper  devotion  to  his  still  remaining  duties  of 
watchfulness, —  although  the  local  pilot  is  in  navigating 
charge, —  began  exclaiming  in  the  Captain's  presence,  and 
with  an  inquiring  inflection,  with  respect  to  the  little  treeless 
and  sodlcss  islands  on  either  hand.  As  we  2:)assed  along  up 
the  naiTow  channel  the  Captain  is  evidently  bothered  some- 
what by  these  interrogating  remarks ;  but  he  does  not  "bluff'' 
any  one,  and  seeks  to  avoid  showing  any  annoyance.  He 
finally  replies,  in  a  most  natural  and  genial  fashion,  "Yes, 
they  are  entirely  l)arren,  l)ut  that  is  not  the  2:)eculiarity  that 
distresses  our  folks  the  most."    So  be  starts  a  curiosity  that 


18  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

works  on  the  minds  of  a  half  dozen  men  and  maidens  with 
increasing-  torment.  They  appeal  to  other  native  Swedes  on 
the  bridge.  ''What  is  the  peculiarity  to  which  the  captain 
refers?"  No  one  can  tell;  or  if  they  have  ever  heard — as  I 
think  some  have  heard,  judging-  afterwards  from  the  quiet 
smile  that  appeal  begets  on  their  countenances — they  will 
not  tell:  they  evade  the  question.  Finally  the  anxious  in- 
quirers must  be  aj^peased ;  although  by  this  time  it  is  evi- 
dent to  all  on  board  that  the  master  would  not  be  disturbed 
with  imjiertinent  or  unnecessary  questions. 

"  What  is  the  peculiarity  about  those  Islands  that  most 
distresses  your  people?"  With  a  bow  and  a  most  benignant 
expression  of  the  eyes  and  face,  the  commander  responds, 
'•They  are  harder  than  the  bottom  of  a  ship."  The  ques- 
tioners turn  aside  and  take  sweet  counsel  together  over 
that  revelation, — admitting  that  this  information  is  good, — 
very,  very  good. 

With  cunning  piloting — and  an  expert  steersman  is  re- 
quired, no  doubt — we  wind  into  the  buoyed  haven  of  Gothen- 
burg, and  at  8  o'clock  Sunday  morning  our  boat  is  fastened 
directly  alongside  one  of  the  granite  wharves  of  the  city. 
The  custom-house  officials  are  polite,  but  very  thorough,  in 
their  work  of  examination.  They  go  down  to  the  bottom 
of  the  trunks,  and  they  sift  the  ''duds"  of  the  passengers — 
as  one  English  lady  called  her  clothing — with  great  delib- 
eration and  care.  But  the  ordeal  is  not  a  very  severe  and 
lengthy  one,  and  in  half  an  hour  after  our  vessel  is  tied  up 
we  are  on  our  way  through  the  streets  in  the  omnibus  of  the 
Christiana  Hotel. 

The  i^assage-price,  including  your  cabin  accommodations, 
from  London  to  Gothenburg  by  this  line  is  £3  3s ;  half-fare 
for  children  under  12  years  of  age. 


FIRST  OBJECTS  OF  OBSERVATION. 


19 


n. 

FIRST  OBJECTS  OF  OBSERVATION. 

The  drive  np  town  from  the  Stora  Bommens  Haniu, 
where  our  gangplank  is  put  down,  is  through  the  principal 
street  of  the  city  —  the  Stora  Hamngatan  —  in  the  center 
of  which  is  the  Stora  Hamn  Kanal,  and  on  either  side  of 
which  are  elegant  three-story  and  four-story  stone  and  brick 
edifices. 


HOTEL    CHRISTIANIA. 


Your  first  impression  of  Gothenbui'g,  or  Goteborg.  is  very 
pleasant,  and  I  can  now  say  that  the  favorable  opinion  3-011 
take  on  the  hotel  'bus,  on  the  morning  of  your  arrival,  is 


20  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

augmented  b}-  all  your  subsequent  walks  and  rides  through 
the  city.  It  is  cleaner  than  London,  far;  even  cleaner  than 
that  much  belied  town  of  Liverpool ;  as  neat,  in  every  part, 
as  is  our  own  beautiful  New  York  City,  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Union  and  Madison  Squares,  in  the  month  of  May. 

The  two  principal  hotels, of  w^hich  the  "Christiana"  is  the 
lesser,  may  be  said  to  be  situated  on  a  square  formed  by 
the  intersection  of  the  Sodra  Hamngata  and  Drottning- 
torget.  Haglund's  Hotel  and  Gota  Kallare  are  one  and  the 
same  institution.  The  rooms  here  are  commendable  for 
their  neatness,  and  their  heavy,  massive  furniture, — including 
single  beds  all  around.  I  have  observed  that  the  accommo- 
dations are  in  all  respects  about  the  same  in  the  two  or  three 
hotels  mentioned,  while  the  "tone"  and  high  prices  are  at 
Haglund's.  Both  are  kejit,  of  coiu-se,  on  what  is  known 
among  us  as  the  European  plan.  Everything  in  the  way  of 
accommodation  and  service  is  separately  charged  for;  and 
even  as  far  north  as  Sweden  the  much-talked-of  imposition 
of  an  item  for  candles,  whether  burned  or  not.  is  on  the  daily 
rendered  bills — at  some  hotels  which  friends  have  visited. 

The  service  up  stairs  is  exclusively  by  girls.  In  the  res- 
taurants we  find  at  each  j^lace  one  "English  boy"  on  whom 
you  must  frequently  expend  more  ti'ouble,  for  the  purpose 
of  making  understood  that  which  you  wai:it.  than  when  you 
are  left  to  extemporized  deaf-and-dumb  signs  and  the  com- 
pendious phrase-book. 

The  first  peculiar  article  that  requires  investigation  is  the 
porcelain  stove  that  sits  in  one  of  the  corners  of  each  room. 
It  reaches  from  the  floor  nearly  up  to  the  ceiling  of  rooms 
that  are  fully  eleven  feet  high.  Some  have  very  handsome 
cornices,  and  many  are  adorned  by  statues,  or  busts,  or  fig- 
ures of  reindeer  or  bears.  On  our  corner  furnace  is  set 
the  bust  of  a  lady,  which  I  take  to  be  the  representation  of 
Dido — head-di-ess  and  all — just  before  she  mounted  that  fu- 
neral pile  of  which  our  schoolboys  are  reading.  At  this 
moment,  at  10  o'clock  p.  m.,  she  is  looking  down  upon  me 
with  a  countenance  that  sometimes  seems  to  shaj^e  itself 
into  one  of  inquiry;  which  I  fancy  asks  me  now  and  then 


FIRST  OBJECTS  OF  OBSERVATION.  21 

what  I  think  about  this  writing  without  the  aid  of  artificial 
light  at  this  hour  of  the  day.  And  she  will  insist,  I  can 
imagine,  now  and  then,  on  an  answer — a  mental  considera- 
tion^'of  her  quer}^  and  an  inaudible  response,  at  least. 

In  the  center,  half-way  up,  in  these  porcelain  pillars  for 
fire,  is  a  cupboard  with  thin  brass  doors,  in  which  you  can 
place  anything  that  you  wish  to  keep  warm  or  hot  during 
the  day  or  night.  The  fire,  of  hard  wood,  is  kindled  at  about 
a  foot  and  a  half  from  the  bottom  of  the  stove-shaft,  which 
is  about  two  feet  in  diameter ;  and  it  is  said  that  two  fires 
will  last  abundantly  during  twenty-four  hours.  The  door- 
knobs are  egg-shaped — a  decided  improvement  on  the  round 
handle. 

The  face  of  the  buildings  on  the  principal  streets  is  mostly 
of  a  light-brown  color.  The  roofs  are  all  covered  with  tiles, 
which  are  reddish,  or  black,  or  yellow,  according  to  the  taste 
of  the  owners  of  the  different  buildings, —  which  seems  to 
alternately  and  it  might  be  said  fortunately  change,  and  so 
give  a  pleasing  and  regular  variety  and  relief,  so  to  speak, 
to  the  complexion  of  the  housetops.  A  few  houses,  like  the 
Gota  Kallare  Hotel,  have  flat  roofs;  and  in  such  instances 
the  structures  are  usually  of  that  woodboxy  description  so 
familiar  to  us  in  the  architecture  of  some  of  the  hotels  in 
San  Francisco. 

xVs  soon  as  possible  after  our  arrival  we  hastened  to  the 
Cathedral,  where  services  were  about  to  begin.  The  building 
is  cruciform  in  construction,  and  will  hold  probably  over 
2,500  persons.  There  are  four  galleries,  exclusive  of  the 
organ-loft.  The  organ  is  a  magnificent  instrument, —  nearly 
the  size  of  the  one  at  St.  George's  Hall,  Liverpool. 

Of  course  this  is  a  Lutheran  cathedral,  but  it  is  also  an 
Episcopal  cathedral, —  the  Swedish  church  differing  in  this 
respect  from  the  German  Lutheran.  There  is  an  altar,  with 
the  communion-bread  upon  it;  and  back  of  the  altar  is  a 
large,  richly  gilded  cross,  with  cherubs  in  gilt  flying  round 
about  it.  On  each  side  of  the  altar  is  a  full-sized  angel,  with 
enormous  wings, — disproportionately  long  wings,  T  thought; 
one  angel  pointing  down  or  pointing  in  a  presentation  way 


22  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

at  the  sacred  elements  on  the  altar,  while  the  other  points 
upward  toward  the  cross  and  the  skies. 

Half-way  down  the  building  from  the  chancel,  on  the  north- 
ern side — and  so  situated  as  to  alloAv  the  preacher  a  view 
of  all  i^arts  of  the  church  —  is  a  puljoit,  with  a  sounding- 
board  above  it.  In  front  of  the  pulpit  is  a  gilded  protrnsion 
of  cherub-head,  lion-head,  and  ox-head,  surmounted  by  an 
eagle.  The  whole  of  this  "ornamentation"  looks  very  taw- 
dry,—  like  a  great  molasses-candy  medallion  daub. 

The  church  was  well  filled  when  we  arrived ;  and  we  stood 
at  one  end  of  the  main  aisle,  in  which  a  number  of  short 
benches  were  placed  crosswise,  and  occupied  by  elderly 
women, —  from  GO  to  80  years  of  age.  It  was  a  remarkable 
sight  to  see  so  many  aged  females  together, — -all  ajipearing 
to  be  in  excellent  health,  and  all  very  attentive  and  devout 
in  their  actions. 

At  10 :  30  a  priest  came  on  the  altar.  He  wore  a  gown 
which  I  could  not  distinguish  from  the  Eoman  Catholic 
priestly  garment, —  it  having  a  large  cross  on  the  back,  splen- 
didly illuminated.  He  read  the  exhortation  and  confession 
and  several  prayers,  and  gave  out  one  hymn,  or  indicated 
that  the  singing  of  the  hymn  was  to  take  place.  Several 
psalms  were  sung  meanwhile.  The  numbers  of  the  hymns 
were  posted  at  different  portions  of  the  church, —  brass 
numbers  being  hung  upon  pegs  set  at  proper  intervals  on 
small  blackboards.  Then  the  preacher  ascended  the  pulpit; 
the  youthful  priest  retiring  from  the  chancel. 

The  preacher  read  a  chapter  from  the  bible,  read  many 
praj'ers  from  a  large  flat  book,  preached  a  sermon  an  hour 
and  a  half  long  on  the  subject  of  rearing  children  in  the 
nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord,  and  deprecating  undue 
levity  on  holidays,  especially  when  a  holiday  happened  to 
be  on  Sunday;  and  concluded  his  portion  of  the  day's  hard 
ministerial  work  by  receiving  from  the  sexton's  hand  a  dozen 
different  sheets  of  paj^er  and  announcing  births,  marriages, 
and  deaths  that  had  taken  place  during  the  last  week,  and 
proclaiming  for  the  first  or  second  or  third  time  notice  of 


FIRST  OBJECTS  OF  OBSERVATION.  23 

intended   matrimony  between   members  of  his  great  con- 
greo"ation. 

When  the  services  were  about  half  way  through,  a  lady 
unlocked  her  pew  and  bade  our  party  enter.  The  narrow 
seats  would  keep  any  man  awake  who  struggled  to  impinge 
upon  them;  and  while  I  appreciate  the  kindness  and  court- 
esy of  that  lady,  I  wish  she  had  been  impolite  or  thought- 
less enough  to  have  allowed  me  to  stand  until  the  bene- 
diction. 

In  the  afternoon  we  visited  a  private  park,  which  is. kept 
somewhat  after  the  style  of  Woodward's,  and  where  we  heard 
excellent  music.  The  admission-charge  to  this  park  is  ten 
ore,  or  about  two  and  a  half  cents.  The  charge  of  admission 
to  the  splendid  observatory — almost  equal,  in  dimensions 
and  variety  of  plants,  to  the  great  tropical  planthouse  at 
Kew  Gardens,  London, —  is  twenty  ore,  or  five  cents. 

An  American  soon  becomes  accustomed  to  the  money 
issued  here,  as  it  is  of  decimal  basis.  And  you  are  not 
snapped  at  and  snubbed  if  you  confess  or  apologetically 
explain  that  your  hesitation  in  making  change  is  due  to 
your  being  a  foreigner.  The  copper  coinage  is  one  ore,  two 
ores,  three  ores,  and  five  ores.  Precious  metals  are  in  the 
10  ore,  25  ore,  and,  of  course,  the  kroner.  The  bills  are 
from  five  kroner  up  to  100  kroner— 5,  10,  25,  50,  and  100. 
Most  of  the  bills  are  about  half  the  size  of  our  greenback, — 
the  50-kroner  bill  alone,  though  of  different  shape,  being 
nearly  as  large  as  owy  paper  issue.  With  the  exception 
noted,  the  bills  are  about  one  third  as  large  as  a  Bank  of 
England  note. 

Near  sunset — that  is,  about  8  o'clock — in  company  with  a 
Swedish  acquaintance  I  met  on  board  the  Belle,  I  visited 
the  old  rovmd  tower  at  the  rear  of  the  cit3%  known  as  the 
"Lion."  A  trooper  who  was  on  guard  admitted  us  to  the 
structure ;  for  that  purpose  unlocking  a  small  iron  door  at 
the  nortli  side.  From  the  ground-floor — which  covers  a 
spring — we  ascended  three  flights  of  stairs.  There  were 
portholes  and  casemates  on  each  floor.  At  one  side  there 
is  an  angle  pushed  out  from  the  circle,  in  which  was  the 


24 


NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


kitchen  of  tlie  garrison.  The  Lion  is  about  forty  feet  in 
diameter,  and  about  the  same  niiniber  of  feet  in  hight.  It 
is  on  a  sharp  natural  eminence,  and  it  comiDletely  overlooks 
the  city.  From  it  you  look  directly  across  to  the  twin  tower, 
known  as  the  Crowia, —  situated  on  the  other  side  of  the 
city,  and  distant  about  a  mile  and  a  quarter. 

The  trooper  was  indignant  when  we  offered  him  money 
for  his  trouble.     I  am  out  of  England! 


THE  BOURSE  AXD  OSTEA  STEEET,  GOTHENBUEG. 


On  this  same  eminence  once  stood  the  fortress  Galberg, 
renowned  for  its  resistance  to  the  Danes  when  its  Captain, 
Martin  Krakow,  was  wounded,  and  his  wife  took  command 
of  the  garrison  and  made  a  successful  defense.  She  poured 
down  on  the  heads  of  the  assaulting  parties  pailfuls  of 
boiling  pitch  and  tar.  The  enemy  became  discouraged  and 
disqusted  on  account  of  this  unusual  and  irregular  mode 
of  warfare — as  they  termed  it  —  and  without  making  any 


FIRST  OBJECTS  OF  OBSERVATION.  25 

breach  in  tlie  walls,  tliey  contemptuously  quit  this  district 
for  more  hospitable  climes. 

Looking  over  the  city  from  any  one  of  the  many  command- 
ing edifices  that  rise  on  either  one  of  three  sides,  it  is  difficult 
to  realize  that  Gothenburg  contains  a  population  of  76,000 
souls.  It  is  very  compactly  built,  and  I  have  yet  to  see  the 
first  house  that  is  for  rent.  The  Vice-consul  says  that  it  is 
a  city  inhabited  mostly  by  business  people :  if  you  seek  pleas- 
ure, he  says,  go  to  Stockholm. 

There  are  three  lines  of  tramway  recently  constructed, 
leading  to  the  southern,  eastern,  and  western  ends  of  the 
city  borders:  fare  10  ore, — half  the  sum  we  pay  in  San 
Francisco.  These  city  railroads  were  built  and  are  owned 
almost  exclusively  by^English  capitalists.  Advertisements 
are  blown  in  the  glass  of  the  street-car  windows.  Hack- 
hire  here  is  one  kroner-and-a-half  an  hour  (or  39  cents),  and 
the  drivers  do  not  attempt  to  overcharge  or  in  any  way  ex- 
act more  than  their  prescribed  fares.  Most  of  the  hacks 
and  carriages  that  stand  for  hire  are  owned  by  a  company, 
and  the  drivers  themselves  get  one  kroner  and  a  half  a  day. 
When  you  give  them  ten  ore  extra  they  are  profuse  in 
their  thanks,  but  I  am  told  that  they  never  show  any  dis- 
pleasure if  you  do  not  fee  them.  I  wish  a  few  of  them  could 
be  exported  to  London,  and  properly  advertized.  The  hack- 
drivers  and  street-car  conductors  arc  uniformed  and  num- 
bered. 

The  wages  of  the  common  laboring-man  here  is  one  kroner 
and  a  halif  to  one  kroner  and  three-quarters  per  day.  \Yomen 
who  work  in  the  field  get  80  ore.  There  are  100  ore  in  a 
kroner,  or  20  cents. 

Sailors  from  this  port  going  on  long  voyages  receive  $16 
per  month.  Cooks  in  the  hotels  and  steamers— mostly  women, 
— receive  as  high  as  $18  per  month.  But,  then,  they  can 
cook.  They  must  have  served  an  apprenticeship  of  three 
years  or  more,  and  have  passed  an  examination. 

Street-car  conductors  are  paid  65  cents  a  day;  steam  rail- 
road car-conductors  get  twice  that  sum. 

You  can  telegraph  from  one  end  of  Sweden  to  the  other 


26 


NORTUERN  EUROPE. 


for  a  kroner — twenty  words.     I  sent  a  dispatch  yesterday  a 

distance  of  nearly  600  miles  for  that  sum. 

There  are  two  otlier  lar<i-e  parks  adjacent  to  this  city,  where 

music  is  to  be  heard,  of  the  best  order,  from  8  to  11. 

The  statue  of  Gustavus 
Adolphus  in  the  principal 
square  of  the  city,  imme- 
diately before  the  Gover- 
nor's house,  is  a  noble  fig- 
ure, and  will  at  once  sug- 
gest to  many  Americans 
our  own  Gen.  W.  S.  H:;n- 
eock.  The  likeness  is  very 
striking. 

I  have  not  seen  a  drunk- 
en or  a  disorderly  person 
since  I  have  been  in  Goth- 
enburg. All  look  sober, 
and  appear  to  be  indus- 
trious and  happy.  Over 
several  small  gardens  and 
entrances  to  restaurants  I 
have  noticed  the  name 
"Good  Templar."  Gothen- 
burg has  a  peculiar  license- 
system,  which  has  recently 
l)een    imitated   by  the  au- 

ithorities  elsewhere.  All 
the  liquor-licenses  were 
bought  up  by  a  cori:)ora- 
tion ;  and  this  corporation 
rented  or  established  so 
many  places  where  liquors  are  to  be  sold.  The  j^erson  dis- 
pensing the  drinks  has  no  jDecuniary  interest  in  the  sales; 
and  from  the  profits  of  the  sales  that  are  made  the  com- 
pany pays  to  the  city  authorities  all  but  five  per  cent  of 
their  investment.  This  plan  is  said  to  have  resulted  in  a 
great  reduction  in  drunkenness  and  crime.     Beer  and  other 


STATUE   OF  GUSTAVUS  ADOLPHUS. 


FIRST  OBJECTS  OF  OBSERVATION.  27 

malt  drinks  are  sold  in  a  great  many  places,  and  they  are 
of  the  most  excellent  character.  You  have  the  clear,  agree- 
able smell  of  the  malt  when  you  come  near  to  a  bottle  of 
freshly  opened  Swedish  ale. 

The  i^olice  are  a  line-looking  body  of  men.  They  are 
very  polite  and  obliging, —  as  it  will  be  agreed  all  police 
men  ought  ordinarily  to  be, —  and  make  every  effort  to  in- 
form a  stranger.  They  advise  you  gratuitously.  We  are 
not  in  London.  They  wear  a  handsome  blue  uniform. 
Their  frock-coat  is  three  or  four  inches  longer  than  the 
coat  of  our  New  York  or  San  Francisco  guardians.  They 
have  a  blue  cloth  belt  covering  a  leather  strap,  on  which 
they  hang  their  clubs  at  night.  They  do  not  carry  clubs 
in  the  daytime.  They  wear  a  glazed  cap,  which  fits  close 
on  the  head,  being  skull-shaped  from  the  back  of  the 
head  to  the  crown. 

During  this  holiday-week,  and  for  two  weeks  to  come, 
the  militia  are  in  camp,  undergoing  training  in  all  three 
branches  of  the  service.  There  are  six  companies  on  the 
hill  immediately  to  the  south  of  the  city.  This  service  is 
compulsory  on  all  able-bodied  men  between  21  and  25; 
that  is,  for  the  space  of  two  years  out  of  the  four.  These 
youths  are  called  beviirningar.  Their  uniform  resembles 
the  American  soldier's  dress  in  most  particulars.  The  ar- 
tillery and  cavalry  boys  have  a  leather  back  to  their  pants, 
from  the  waist  to  the  feet.  Their  jacket  is  single-breasted, 
with  small  brass  Inittons.  The  officers  are  very  much 
pleased  by  a  visit  from  a  foreigner, —  especially  from  an 
American.  When  you  say  "from  California."  they  exclaim, 
as  everybody  else  does  in  this  region,  '-Oh,  California! 
Oh,  California!''  and  they  then  ajiparently  redouble  their 
efforts  to  be  courteous  and  entertaining.  Their  tents  pitch 
close  down,  being  tall  and  having  an  unusually  sharp  incline 
from  the  roof-caiivas.  It  is,  perhaps,  needless  to  say  that  we 
found  everything  in  "apple-pie"  order  when  we  "inspected" 
quai'ters. 

Immediately  in  front  of  the  parade  and  camp  ground  is  a 
large  new  brick  house, —  fully  as  large  as  the  Occidental 


28  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

Hotel,  and  not  dissimilar  in  aj^pearance.  If  you  put  some 
turrets  —  sprinkle  a  few  along  the  front  —  of  our  principal 
Montgomery  Street  inn,  you  would  have  a  close  copy.  This 
building  is  the  property  of  a  widow  lady.  I  have  heard  her 
frequently  spoken  of  as  a  very  nice  woman,  good-looking, 
and  fond  of  the  military. 

If  you  wish  to  make  any  inquiry  in  this  city,  and  have  not 
your  interpreter  with  you,  you  can  step  up  to  any  passer-by 
and  ask  in  Swedish  if  he  or  she  understands  English.  If  he 
or  she  does  not  speak  English,  as  will  probably  be  the  case, 
you  will  not  be  merely  met  with  a  negative,  but  you  will  be 
requested  to  stay  where  you  are  until  he  or  she  brings 
some  one  to  you  who  can  speak  English.  He  or  she  will 
cry  "Nej!  nej !  nej!"  if  you  offer  a  fee  for  their  services. 

We  are  not  in  London, — where,  if  you  stand  on  the  street 
and  look  doubtingly  two  ways,  some  one  will  come  up  and 
propose  to  show  you  the  way, —  often  immediately  thereafter 
demanding  or  begging  two  pence,  although  you  have  been 
posted  in  the  premises,  have  not  even  replied  to  their  offer. 
Of  course  j'ou  do  not  object  to  pay  for  a  street-corner 
guide,  v/hen  occasion  requires  such  a  person ;  but  you  find 
from  experience  that  these  pointers  in  the  English  metrop- 
olis frequently  give  you  wi'ong  directions.  The  London 
police  will  misdirect  you  in  two  cases  out  of  three,  and  they 
are  frequently  very  offensive  in  their  appearance  and  actions 
when  you  apply  to  them  for  information  as  to  localities. 
The  best  practice  there,  is  to  double  your  payment  to  the 
shoe- blacking  boy,  when  you  will  probably  reward  merit  and 
will  sux'ely  not  be  misinformed.  The  members  of  the  shoe- 
blacking  fraternity  in  London  are  as  well  acquainted  with 
the  streets  there  as  the  hansom  drivers.  There  are  no  shoe- 
blacking  boys  in  Gothenburg. 

The  water  here  is  soft  and  pure.  The  price  to  manufac- 
turers is  about  one-fourth  of  what  is  jjaid  in  San  Fran- 
cisco. There  is  no  charge  for  water  for  household  or  domes- 
tic purposes.  Gas  is  supplied  at  a  little  advance  on  the 
London  price.     Swedish  coal  is  not  as  good  as  the  English, 


PUBLIC   INSTITUTIONS.  29 

and  the  latter  is  brought  to  this  port  for  steamer  and  do- 
mestic cosnmption. 

The  poorhouse  is  a  two  story  and  a  half  building  of  brick, 
300  feet  long,  situated  on  the  east  side  of  the  square  or 
plaza;  facing  which  are  also  the  two  principal  hotels  of  the 
town  and  the  station  of  the  railroad  that  leads  directly  to 
Stockholm.  The  very  poor  are  well  taken  care  of  here. 
Their  food  and  l^edding  is  excellent,  as  we  can  testify  from 
personal  observation. 


III. 

PUBLIC    INSTITUTIONS. 

I  had  the  good  fortune  to  make  the  acquaintance  this  day 
of  a  member  of  a  Practical  School-board,  Mr.  Mauritz  Ru- 
benson,  and  in  his  company  and  under  his  guidance,  I  made 
the  rounds  of  the  city  institutions,  so  far  as  time  and  other 
considerations  would  permit.  It  is  vacation  in  all  the  public 
schools  of  southern  Sweden  at  this  time,  and  my  friend  much 
regretted  that  I  could  not  see  the  classes. 

Fifteen  years  ago  a  rich  man  of  Gothenburg  died,  leaving  a 
will  which  provided  that  out  of  his  property  or  estate  1,500,- 
000  kroners,  or  about  $375,000,  sliould  be  set  apart  and  put 
at  interest.  At  the  expiration  of  every  nine  years  after  interest 
had  begun  to  run,  the  Board  of  Trustees  having  the  matter 
in  charge  should  proceed  to  use  the  accumulated  interest  in 
the  erection  of  such  public  buildings  and  the  endowment  of 
such  institutions  as  the  city  of  Gothenburg  could  not  properly 
provide  for  the  benefit  of  its  citizens, — for  their  education, 
recreation,  comfort,  and  happiness. 

Unlike  the  usual  course  of  events  in  some  other  quarters, 
under  similar  circumstances,  there  was  no  contest  of  the  will; 
and  the  bulk  of  this  good  man's  estate  was  not  divided  up  a- 
mong  lawyers  on  the  ground  that  the  deceased  was  crazy  when 
he  wrote  or  dictated  his  testament.  And  hence  it  is  that  the 
people  of  Gothenburg,  and,  you  may  say,  society  and  men  and 


30  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

women  in  general,  are  enjoying  the  fruits  of  liis  life  of  in- 
dasfcry  and  economy  and  of  his  benevolent  disposition.  The 
Board  of  Trustees  have  exhibited  unusually  good  judgment: 
in  the  disbursement  of  the  funds  so  left  under  their  direc- 
tion and  disposal,  as  most  readers  will  concede  when  I  enu- 
merate the  plans  already  made  and  carried  out  in  the  name 
and  with  the  power  of  this  great  charity.  I  do  not  speak  of 
them  in  their  order  of  accomplishment,  bvit  I  believe  I  em- 
brace them  all. 

A  public  bath-house  was  erected  in  a  most  eligible  situation, 
and  supplied  with  every  convenience.   It  will  accommodate, 
in  all  its  departments,  three  hundred  persons  at  the  same  time, 
— men  and  women.  Here,  at  a  ticket  charge  to  the  public  that 
is  annually  fixed  at  the  lowest  sum  consistent  with  the  cost 
of  the  management  and  care  of  the  establishment,  the  best 
of  bathing-rooms  are  to  be  had — plain  baths  and  baths  Ro- 
man, and  Turkish  and  Russian  and  plunge.  From  hence,  also, 
bath-wagons,  with  every  appliance  therein  contained  for  such 
a  bath  as  may  be  desired,  are  dispatched  to  the  homes  of  the 
sick,  and  espscially  to  the  dwellings  of  the  poor.    On  proper 
application  the  latter  are  so  supplied  without  price.  "We  walked 
through  this  imineusa  establishment,  and  noted  its  neatness 
and  thorough  modern  furnishing.  Nothing  is  lacking,  and  the 
tariff  is  nominal  as  compared  with  strictly  private  houses  for 
the  same  entertainment.     For  twenty-five  ore,  or  about  six 
cents,  an  ordinary  hot  and  cold  bathroom  is  rented :  for  thirty- 
five  cents  a  Russian  or  Tui'kish  bath  is  given.     We  entered 
the    oven    of   the  latter.      There  was  no  wanting  in  bight 
of  temperature.     We  inspected  the  cooling  alcoves.     They 
are  luxuriously  furnished.     Here,  also,  the  very  poor,  on  due 
recommendation  from  a  medical  man,  have  free  access  and 
complete  attendance. 

Connected  with"  this  establishment  is  a  washing  or  laun- 
dry department  for  the  2:)oor.  Here  tv/enty  pounds  of  soiled 
clothes  are  thoroughh' — I  ought  to  say  artistically — washed 
for  twenty-five  ore,  or  about  six  cents.  The  work  is  done  al- 
most entirely  by  women  and  girls;  and  a  cheerful  row  of  labor- 
ers they  seemed  to  be,  as  we  walked  along  their  courtesying 


PUBLIC  INSTITUTION'S.  SI 

ranks.  The  mangles  are  driven  bj'  steam,  and  the  amount  of 
work  turned  out  in  glossy  smoothness  is  surprising.  Nothing 
is  ironed  here,  except  the  linen  surface  of  shirt-bosoms  and  the 
like.  People  express  great  surprise  on  learning  that  we  have 
not  their  custom  of  taking  out  the  creases  in  the  clothing  after 
a  wash  by  pressure.  They  exclaim,  "No  wonder  your  table- 
linen  wears  out  so  quickly."  They  say  this  in  Swedish,  but  I 
have  it  interpreted  into  English  for  the  benefit  of  my  read- 
ers. But  the  amazement  which  doth  set  upon  their  counte- 
nances on  the  occasion  referred  to,  could  be  interpreted  by 
any  person  who  understood  what  the  laundry  folks  were  list- 
ening to.  They  are  very  much  pleased  to  see  visitors,  espe- 
cially from  America :  more  esjoecially — as  before  observed  else- 
where— from  California.  We  have  it  again  and  again:  "O,  Cal- 
ifornia!    O!   O!" 

This  bathing  and  washing  establishment,  occupying  a 
block  of  ground,  is  immediately  in  front  of  one  of  the  beau- 
tifully shaded  city  promenades.  Two  thickly  tree-lined 
avenues  are  in  front;  and  alongside  of  the  hard-graveled 
highways  benches  are  placed,  at  short  intervals  and  at  differ- 
ent angles.  "Sometimes,"  the  good  matron  told  us,  "those 
benches  which  are  nearest  to  the  bath-house  are  occupied 
exclusively  by  waiting  customers, — mostly  peoi^le  of  the 
poorest  class." 

From  this  bathing  establishment  we  proceeded  to  the 
Business  College, — a  splendid  structure,  with  every  possible 
appointment  of  classroom,  sales-halls,  exchanges,  bo(jk-keep- 
ing  offices,  apparatus  for  instruction  in  natural  philosophy, 
etc.  This  also  came  from  the  dead  mans  hand,  whose  will 
was  not  contested. 

Then  we  visited  a  drawing-school, —  a  school  for  student 
labor  in  sculpture  and  design.  Every  convenience  and  oppor- 
tunity here.  And  masters  in  the  art  are  here  encouraged 
from  many  different  nations.  No  tuition-fees  ;  everything 
free.  Also  the  outcome  of  the  generous  giver's  funds,  an.^ 
the  kind  consideration  of  the  lawyers,  who  did  not  illustrate 
their  ability  by  inducing  legal  tribunals  to  declare  that  the 
uoble  donor  was  a  lunatic.     Thanks. 


32  NO  RT HE  UN  EUROPE. 

And  now  we  visit  a  practical  school  for  girls.  The  course 
is  two  years  and  a  half — thirty  months.  The  number  is  lim- 
ited to  thirt}',  six  in  each  class.  In  a  handsome  two-story- 
and-a-half  buildini;-,  covering  probably  an  acre  of  ground, 
the  academy  is  located.  This  institute  is  intended  for  the  ed- 
ucation of  girls  whose  expectation  is  to  remain  in  the  serv- 
ant class  in  life,  and  who  wish  to  be  and  are  b}'  nature  fitted 
to  become  first-class  servants.  The  first  six  months  is  de- 
voted to  attendance  in  the  nursery  department.  Women  who 
are  obliged  to  or  who  desire  to  go  out  and  v/ork  during  the 
day.  can  bring  their  children  here,  and  for  10  ore — two  cents 
and  a  half — have  them  properly  taken  care  of  by  the  pupils 
of  the  first  term,  under  the  supervision  of  the  experienced  ma- 
tron. We  saw  eighteen  little  boys  and  girls  in  their  cribs — 
just  waking  from  their  afternoon  nap,  as  we  walked  into  one 
of  the  wards.  Healthy  and  bright  and  ruby-cheeked  were 
they.  Some  of  their  mothers  could  not  go  out  to  work  at 
all  if  this  keeping  was  not  had;  and  with  many  others  it 
would  be  a  loss  of  half  a  kroner  to  a  kroner  a  day  if  the  lit- 
tle one  was  with  them. 

Of  course  we  did  not  fail  at  this  moment  to  speak  with 
pride  of  similar  institutions  in  California,  conducted  by  Cath- 
olics and  Protestants,  and  in  San  Francisco  more  particular- 
ly. Nor  did  we  miss  the  ojiportunity  to  inform  our  friend 
of  the  practical  School-board  of  the  magnificent  bequests 
of  James  Lick,  and  express  the  hope  that  some  portion  of 
them  might  be  put  into  jDractical  benevolent  oj^eration — be- 
fore we  die.  We  had  to  acknowledge,  however,  that  Mr. 
Lick  was  forewarned  of  the  consequences  of  a  mere  will- 
distribution;  and  that  even  his  dedication,  in  his  own  lifetime, 
of  his  vast  property — or  a  large  share  of  it — to  scientific  and 
charitable  purposes  narrowly  escaped  complete  overthrow. 
We  had  to  confess  this,  for,  from  some  intimations  dropped 
in  a  casual  and  very  fi'iendly  way,  we  had  reason  to  believe 
that  the  facts  in  the  premises  were  not  hidden  from  our 
guide's  recollection.  So  we  made  the  whole  aiovy  of  the  mat- 
ter plain,  and  saved  all  the  credit  that  we  could  for  our  peo- 


PUBLIC   INSTITUTIONS.  33 

pie  in  o-eneral  and  oui-  saints  in  particular,  with  respect  to 
this  item. 

The  second  six  months  in  this  practical  school  for  girls  is 
occupied  b}'  the  pupil  in  learning  to  wash,  starch,  mangle, 
and  iron.  To  this  house  the  richest  people  in  Gothenburg 
send  their  soiled  "fabrics," — for  here  the  work  of  cleansing 
and  glossing  is  most  excellently  performed. 

Then  comes  the  baking  department.  The  specimens  of  all 
kinds  of  cakes  and  bread,  and  tarts  and  confectionery,  testi- 
fied unto  the  palate  that  the  business  here  was  as  near  per- 
fection as  can  be  reached  with  the  recipes  of  this  kingdom. 
One  of  the  women  in  charge  was  bereaved  because  the  time 
of  day  had  gone  by  when  she  could  have  shown  us  what  her 
girls  could  accomplish  in  the  way  of  doing  a  piece  of  meat 
to  a  turn,  and  mixing  a  gravy  that  would  be  just  right  and 
not  a  bit  greasy.  This  is  about  the  way  we  understood  the 
conversation. 

Standing  down  in  front  of  the  brick  oven  was  a  handsome 
girl — prett}'  as  a  picture — watching  a  batch  of  bread  and  cake. 
We  stayed  by  persistently  until  she  pulled  out  some  kring- 
lors.  Ah !  how  crisj:)  and  delicious !  —  for  we  tossed  one  in  our 
hands  until  it  was  cool  enough  to  taste.  This  blushing- 
maiden  courtesied  tons  a  great  many  times  and  said  she  was 
flattered.  That  was  my  understanding,  at  least.  I  did  not 
intend  to  flatter. 

The  table  cooking,  the  meat  and  vegetable  cooking,  it  should 
be  understood,  is  a  separate  compartment  from  the  bakery. 
Another  six  months  of  tuition  here.  We  were  conducted  into 
the  kitchen  proper  by  the  matron  in  charge,  who  had  been 
with  us  also  in  the  bakery. 

During  the  Winter  season  many  boys  who  come  to  Goth- 
enburg to  attend  the  gymnasium  or  other  academy,  board 
here  at  a  charge  of  only  fifty  cents  a  day.  And  in  cooking  for 
them  and  for  other  boarding  patrons,  the  pupils  in  this  de- 
partment acquire  their  art.  Of  course  we  did  not  see  any 
broiling,  frying,  bnking,  or  stewing,  actually  going  on  in  the 
kitchen;  but  we  did  see  the  bright  pots  and  kettles  and  grid- 
irons, and  all  that  sort  of  evidence  of  good  housewifery;  and 


34  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

in  the  cold  meats  shown  there  was  sufficient  evidence  of  the 
skill  of  the  girls  who  '-did  it." 

Time  is  also  here  set  apart  for  special  instruction  in  the 
best  manner  of  taking  charge  of  the  bed-chambers;  and  in- 
struction is  given  in  that  kind  of  needlework  which  will  be 
most  required  at  the  hands  or  fingers  of  the  perfect  maid- 
servant. 

We  were  introduced  to  the  chief  matron,  in  her  parlor  cham- 
ber, and  met  wdth  a  most  cordial  welcome.  "Americans?  O, 
very  glad  to  see  you.  What,  Califoruians !  O !  O ! "  And  we  were 
shown  everything  in  the  way  of  stitching  and  crocheting  from 
the  hands  of  the  girls  who  had  passed  under  her  teaching  dur- 
ing the  last  fifteen  years.  How  proudly  she  exhibited  the  me- 
mentoes which  she  had  of  their  skill  as  pupils  and  their  per- 
sonal affection  for  her.  An  album  containing  a  photograph  of 
each  gradviate  is  also  shown  to  the  visitor. 

Why  cannot  we  have  a  similar  institution  in  San  Francisco 
— as  well  as  in  New  York  city? 

For  every  graduate  from  this  institute  there  are  a  score  of 
applications  coming  from  the  best  families  of  Sweden.  "But 
many  of  them  get  married  pretty  soon:  for  they  will  make  the 
best  of  wives  and  mothers  in  the  laborers'  cottages,"  remarked 
the  lady  Principal,  as  we  closed  the  album  and  proceeded  to 
take  our  leave.  "Many  of  them  have  become  the  wives  of  gen- 
tlemen," she  added,  as  we  said  good-bye.  This  she  said  in  a 
w\ay  that  made  us  suspect  that  she  had  reserved  the  informa- 
tion for  a  reply  to  an  expected  question  or  remark  from  us. 

Immediately  in  the  rear  of  this  practical  college  for  servant- 
girls  is  a  home  for  incurables,  recently  built  and  endowed  by 
a  wealthy  gentleman  of  Gothenburg.  Not  far  away — about 
two  blocks  distant  —  is  a  building  that  on  the  outside  looks 
like  a  chapel ;  but  is,  in  fact,  a  kindergarten  school,  of  which 
there  are  several  in  the  city. 

Three  blocks  distant,  to  the  southwest  is  a  large  building 
which  provides  a  suite  of  rooms — a  kitchen,  bedroom  and  sit- 
ting-room— bedroom  and  sitting-room  in  one — with  gas, water, 
and  every  appointment,  for  aged  people  who  have  been  in 
good  circumstances,  but  who,  through  no  immorality,  have 


PUBLIC  INSTITUTIONS.  35 

lost  their  property.  Seventy-two  families  are  so  kept,  and 
they  are  supphed  with  all  the  necessaries  of  life.  Another 
similar  establishment  is  in  the  block  near  by.  In  one  instance 
all  the  beneficiaries  are  in  one  large  edifice ;  in  the  other,  pro- 
vision is  made  for  fifty  families  in  a  dozen  cottage  buildings, 
— three  or  four  families  in  each  building. 

Deaf-and-dumb  and  blind  asylums  are  here ;  lying-in  houses 
and  hospitals  for  consumptives  are  pointed  out  as  we  drive 
along.  Within  the  past  fifteen  years  rich  men  in  Gothenburg 
have  given  over  $3,000,000  for  absolute  and  for  conditional 
chai'ges,  as  they  are  called;  that  is,  for  the  founding  and 
maintaining  of  institutions  that  are  entirely  fi-ee  in  the  dis- 
pensing of  benefits,  or  that  have  a  small  fee  attached  to  the 
services  thence  rendered  and  the  gifts  thence  in  part  be- 
stowed. 

We  were  driven  past  many  blocks  of  houses  erected  for 
■workmen, — most  of  them  of  recent  construction, — where  two 
rooms,  with  two  closets  in  each  and  a  fixed  range  in  the  kitch- 
en, are  provided  on  the  ground-floor,  and  two  or  three  rooms 
partitioned  above.  The  dimensions  of  the  separate  build- 
ings are  about  20  by  20  or  25  feet;  the  ceiling  is  ten  feet. 
There  is  a  back  yard  of  at  least  20  feet  in  width,  with  15  feet 
of  depth.  In  one  of  these  rear  yards — a  specimen,  we  pre- 
sume— we  saw  a  bed  of  vegetables  and  a  neat  little  arbor 
with  a  table  and  seats  arranged  for  a  tea  party  of  from  four 
to  six  persons.  These  buildings  rent  for  $13  a  month;  and  at 
the  expiration  of  eighteen  years  they  are  the  property  of  the 
continuous  tenant.  In  a  house  where  our  companion  took 
us,  a  mother  was  sitting  in  an  easy  chair  singing  to  her  in- 
fant, that  was  almost  asleep,  she  said,  when  we  came  in.  She 
was  unmistakably  pleased  at  the  intrusion,  for  which  our  con- 
ductor apologized.  "  Not  at  all,  not  at  all !  Glad  to  have 
them  come  in  and  see  how  nicely  we  are  situated.  What, 
Americans?     O,  Californians!     O!  O!" 

Gothenburg  is  literally  founded  on  a  rock.  It  is  all  one 
continuous  rock  down  at  the  near  bottom.  You  soon  strike 
bedrock.  Nothing  but  rocky  eminences  round  about  consti- 
tute the  preeminently  commanding  peaks.     And   between, 


36  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

and  on  lower  liigbts,  are  piue-wooded  ridges  covered  with 
thickly  clustered  evergreens.  Dij^ping  into  bowls  and 
troughs,  is  the  figure  of  the  country  just  beyond  the  borders 
of  the  city  proper  on  the  south  and  southeast;  wlhle  imme- 
diately to  the  north  and  northeast  are  meadows  that  have  been 
drained  within  the  past  few  5'ears,aud  thus  changed  from  un- 
healthy, miasmatic  swamps  into  fruitful,  grain-bearing  fields. 
No  wonder  that  this  place  is  rapidly  growing  in  population  and 
business.  Added  to  what  contributes  to  the  latter,  in  the  way 
of  outside  traffic  and  foreign  commerce,  here  is  a  great  home 
of  advancing  civilization  and  comfort.  A  noble,  generous, 
Christian  people,  are  at  the  head  of  the  management  of  all 
affairs,  municipal  and  social,  in  the  city  of  Gothenburg,  in  the 
kingdom  of  Sweden. 

The  workingmen  have  a  large  building,  containing  within 
it  a  hall  capable  of  seating  2,000  peojDle.  Here  they  hold 
their  great  assemblages,  at  which  they  consider  what  is  for 
the  best  interests  of  their  class.  Here  was  recently  held  an 
immense  mass-meeting  to  protest  agtiinst  the  unjust  com- 
petition of  convict-labor ;  and  in  this  meeting  they  had  the 
sympathy  of  the  entire  city,  so  to  speak, — as  our  latest  ac- 
quamtance  told  us.  The  protest  has  been  partially  met  al- 
ready, by  obedience  to  it ;  and  the  sure  promise  is  that  the 
labor  of  prisoners  will  soon  be  confined  to  branches  of  in- 
dustry in  which  they  shall  not  conflict  with  the  honest  bread- 
winners of  the  land. 

The  workingmen  have  a  society  here  by  which  they  take 
care  of  those  who  are  out  of  employment,  partially  or  en- 
tirely supi^lying  their  wants  and  the  needs  of  their  families, 
as  the  necessities  of  each  case  may  determine.  One  of  the 
dwellings  in  which  the  unemployed  reside  was  shown  to  us. 
It  was  a  building  that  deserved  the  term  "elegant,"  and  was 
situated  on  a  Nob  Hill  eminence  immediately  overlooking 
the  entrance  to  the  harbor.  I  would  respectfully  venture  to 
commend  to  our  people  a  study  of  the  rules  and  regulations 
of  this  fraternity  of  laborers.  I  had  the  pleasure  and  honor 
of  conversing  with  many  of  the  representative  men  among 
them;  and  I  shall  never  lose  the  impression  which  I  have 


THE  GOTH  A   CANAL.— TROLHATTAN.  37 

received  of  their  intellij^ence  and  honorable  sentiments.  It 
would  seem  as  thon.^-h  they  understood  their  rights  and  priv- 
ileges, and  their  needs  as  well,  with  a  thorough  good  sense  of 
appreciation.  Of  their  advantages  and  enjoyment  they  spoke 
with  gratitude  and  pride:  of  that  which  they  believed  they 
lacked,  and  should  enjoy  or  possess,  they  spoke  with  reason- 
able and  sober  wish  and  expectation.  I  shall  cherish  my 
memories  here,  and  in  this  very  particular.  I  think  that  no 
miscreant  demagogue  will  rise  to  eminence  or  power  among 
these  bodies  of  workingmen.  And  I  think  their  condition 
of  sei'vice  will  rapidly  grow  from  good  to  better  and  best. 
So  mote  it  be. 


IV. 

THE  GOTHA  CANAL. TEOLHATTAN. 

It  is  probably  necessary,  as  well  as  appropriate,  as  a  pref- 
ace to  an  anywise  satisfactory  sketch  of  a  trip  from  Gothen- 
burg to  Stockholm  via  the  Gotha  Canal,  to  put  in  a  short 
compass  the  data  of  planning  and  of  construction  labor  on 
this  remarkable  work. 

Bishop  Brask  of  Liukoping,  whose  cathedral  town  was  sit- 
uated a  few  miles  south  of  Lake  Roxen,  is  the  first  known  or 
recorded  suggester  of  the  "idea"  of  connecting  hj  canal 
lakes  Malaren,  Roxen,  Boren,  Vettern,  and  Venern,  with  the 
Gotaelf.  But  it  was  not  until  1716,  fully  two  centuries  after 
the  wise  and  far-seeing  prelate  had  proposed  the  scheme  and 
urged  its  undertaking  and  accomplishment  upon  the  atten- 
tion of  Kings  and  nobles,  as  well  as  upon  brother  Bishops 
and  priests — who,  it  seems,  in  those  days  took  a  deep  and 
practical  interest  in  tlie  commercial  affairs  of  Sweden — that 
a  serious  effort  was  made  to  carrj^out  the  project.  Two  civil 
engineers,  Svedenborg  and  Polhem  by  name,  in  1715  mapj^ed 
out  a  feasible  or  possible  route,  and  under  their  direction 
work  was  actually'  begun  on  a  system  of  locks  and  dams  at 
Karlsgrabeu  and  Trolhattan.   Their  plans,  somewhat  changed 


28G222 


38  NORTHERN   EUROPE. 

and  simplified,  were  afterwards  taken  up  and  labored  upon 
under  the  superintendence  of  Engineer  Vinian,  in  1753-54. 
In  1755  the  working  of  Viman  and  predecessors  was  de 
stroyed  by  a  "jam  of  logs,"' as  it  would  be  described  on  the 
Ohio  or  St.  Lawrence,  or  one  of  their  tributaries ;  and  the 
project  was  then  pronounced  wholly  abandoned,  until  1793. 
In  that  year  a  company  having  a  million  of  rix  dollars,  or 
about  $250,000  for  capital,  "went  bravely  to  work,"  as  one 
chronicler  says,  to  constnict  locks  around  the  Falls  of  Trol- 
hattan,  and  broiight  their  often-derided  labors  to  a  success- 
ful termination  in  1800.    It  then  remained  to  connect  Lake 
Venern  and  Lake  Vettern,  and  open  a  continuous  navigable 
passage  between  the  latter  and  the  Baltic  Sea.    This  was 
done  between  the  years  1810  and  1832:   the  result  of  re- 
peated and  persistent  efforts,  sometimes  sepai'ated  five  or 
six  years  by  a  period  of  enforced  idleness;  the  successful 
plans   being   wrought   under  the   personal    supervision    of 
Daniel  Thunberg,  Baron  Von  Platen,  and  Thomas  Telfoi'd, — 
Telford  being  an  English  civil  Engineer  of  already  estab- 
lished and  high  renown.    The  cost  of  this  work  on  this  sec- 
tion  was  five  million  of  rix  dollars,  or  about  $1,250,000.    The 
above  sums  of  course  scarcely  represent  one-third  of  what 
the  work  would  actually  cost  at  the  present  time,  notwith- 
"standing  all  the  modern  advantages  of  vastly  more  effective 
blasting   material,  etc.;    unless,  indeed,   the    companies   in 
charge  of  the  construction  pursued  the  plan  of  the  bene- 
ficiaries of  the  people's  donations  to  the  Central  Pacific  Rail- 
road Company,  and  rejecting  the  labor  of  white  men,  im- 
ported Chinese  slaves  to  do  tlae  digging  at  rice-diet  wages. 

The  section  between  the  two  great  lakes  is  called  the 
Vestgota  line,  while  that  portion  which  connects  Lake  Vet- 
tern  with  the  Baltic  is  called  the  Ostgota  line — both,  how- 
ever, coming  under  the  general  title  of  the  Gotha  Canal. 

You  are  continually  informed  in  Gothenburg  and  out  of 
Gothenburg  that  that  city  is  "quite  modern," — that  is  the 
exact  phrase.  In  fact,  you  are  told  that  Gothenburg  is  only 
250  years  old,  or  some  such  matter,  as  it  stands.  The  inhab- 
itants appear  to  take  great  pleasure  in  assui'iug  you  of  this 


THE   00 TEA   CANAL.- TROLUATT AN.  39 

recent  origin,  and  tell  you  sometliing  about  an  old  town — 
or  if  it  were  now  in  existence,  a  village  tliat  would  Ije  an  old 
town — that  was  situated  somewhere  in  the  neighborhood  (it 
has  been  pointed  at,  or  towards,  for  my  benefit,  so  many 
times,  from  so  many  different  comers,  that  I  am  much  con- 
fused with  respect  to  its  exact  location),  that  had  rather  a 
hard  time  of  it  in  the  way  of  suffering  sieges,  etc.,  a  matter 
of  some  eight  centuries  ago;  and  which  may  perhaps  be  con- 
sidered the  lineal  forerunner,  as  it  were,  of  this  flourishing, 
latter-day  settlement.  And  I  have  noticed  that  some  good 
Swedish  people  who  live  in  admittedly  older  places  than 
Gothenburg  exhibit  a  touch  of  amiable  contempt  in  their 
speech  about  this  new  city ;  on  account  of  its  freshness  on 
the  page  of  history.  I  do  not  precisely  appreciate  how  this 
is,  but  it  is  so ;  and  as  all  pai'ties  concerned  seem  to  like  it  I 
cannot  complain,  and  I  will  forbear  to  make  further  com- 
ment on  it.  When  you  come  to  Sweden  via  Gothenburg,  my 
dear  reader — as  I  hope  you  will  one  day — I  beg  you  to  im- 
prove an  early  opportunity  to  form  the  acquaintance  of  some 
stranger  on  the  streets,  by  inquiring  as  to  locality  or  dis- 
tance, and  see  how  many  seconds  it  will  be  before  you  are 
told,  in  substance,  "Gothenburg,  I  suppose  you  are  aware, 
is  not  an  old  city.  O,  bless  you,  no,  no :  it  is  only  about  200 
years  old.  There  was  a  city  or  a  town  that  was  huddled  up 
(they  have  a  word  that  sounds  like  this),  about  in  that  di- 
rection (pointing,  as  we  reporters  are  often  compelled  to  most 
ambiguously  interject);  but,  bless  j-ou,  thut  place  was 
knocked  to  rack  and  ruin,  pretty  much,  several  centuries  ago. 
You  will  find  our  city,  for  a  young  city,  quite  a  pleasant  and 
enterprising  and  creditable  place." 

Ancient  or  modern  as  it  may  be,  or  as  you  may  choose  to 
call  or  consider  it,  it  is  with  a  sigh  of  profound  regret  that 
we  contemplate  our  departure  from  it ;  regretting  most  sin- 
cerely that  we  have  not  had  another  Aveek  to  spare  in  visiting 
this  section  of  southern  Sweden.  And  we  think  and  say 
that,  as  Liverpool  is  generally  passed  quickly  by  travelers 
who  have  no  business  connection  there — treated  as  a  "'junip- 
ing-off  place  "  in  very  word  and  deed — thus  missing  or  de- 


40 


NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


dining  a  staj'  in  a  city  that  is  ^yell  wortli  a  week's  time  of  ob- 
servatiou   ou  the  part  of   the    sightseer,  so  Gothenburg— 
most  iinmistakably  rapidly  rising  into  importance  as  a  com 
mercial  entrepot  and  as  a  community  whence  proceed  sug- 


MAUPJTZ   EUBENSON,  PRESIDENT  OF  BOAED  OF  PRACTICAL  EDUCATION. 

gestions  and  illustrations  of  the  highest  practical  value  along 
the  line  of  the  civilization  of  our  age — is  given  the  slip  by 
the  tourist,  has  bestowed  upon  it  only  a  hasty  glance  of  the 
student  who  does  not  sufficiently  observe  and  reflect  for  him- 


TUB   GOTHA   CANAL.— TROLHATTAN.  41 

self  when  he  first  outlines  his  travels,  or  when  he  reaches  a 
point  that  marks  itself — on  due  consideration,  in  spite  of  the 
guide-books — as  a  place  of  abounding  interest. 

But  a  little  antiquated  in  some  things,  a  little  behind  the 
times  in  some  things,  as  we  in  America  would  judge  it,  Goth- 
enburg certainl}'  is. 

Its  railroad  stations  are  admirably  located,  every  way  ap- 
pro2:)riately  easy  of  access  and  conspicuous  by  their  adapted 
architecture.  But  its  steamboat  offices  are  hard  to  find,  even 
after  the  most  diligent  search  by  the  stranger  under  the  di- 
rection of  the  official  city  dictionary  and  accompanying  maps. 
And  yet  there  the  office  of  our  caiial  boat  is,  absolutely  fac- 
ing the  quay  from  which  the  steamer  is  to  start.  But  when 
you  do  not  know  precisely  where  the  steamer  lies,  the  Avord 
"opposite "  is  of  obscure  and  doubtful  signification.  We  were 
told  where  to  go  several  times  with  great  and  kindly  empha- 
sis of  speech  and  finger-pointing,  and  we  missed  the  place 
with  almost  as  much  accuracy  as  if  we  had  been  threading  the 
streets  between  the  Strand  and  Oxford  Street  in  that  mighty 
metropolis  on  the  Thames.  However,  it  is,  of  course,  not 
worth  while  to  dwell  on  such  a  small  matter  any  further;  at 
least  not  any  further  than  to  say  in  reply  to  a  suggestion  that 
would  naturally  come  up,  "Why  didn't  you  call  a  cab  and  be 
taken  to  the  office,"  by  stating  that  we  did  that  very  thing, 
and  were  taken  to  the  wrong  building  twice  before  the  driver 
himself  "guessed"  the  spot. 

For  a  first-class  passage  to  Stockholm,  via  the  canal  route, 
occupying  two  days  and  a  half,  you  pay  $6.25.  This  includes 
your  cabin  accommodations,  but  not  your  meals;  it  amounts 
to  about  two  cents  a  mile  for  your  carrving,  after  deducting 
a  proper  allowance  for  a  room  as  a  lodging  apartment. 

Our  steamer,  fully  dignified  hy  that  name,  is  the  Venus. 
This  little  goddess  is  of  200  tons  burden,  75  feet  long  by  22 
broad.  Her  Captain  is  an  old  sailor,  who  has  sailed  the  At- 
lantic and  the  North  Sea  over  these  thirty-five  years  last  past, 
as  man  and  boy:  and  his  name  is  O.  R.  Samsioe.  He  and  his 
mate — a  smnrt  fellow,  as  we  Yankees  would  call  him,  who 
has  gone  in  and  out  of  Philadelphia  many  times  on  a  sailing 


42  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

packet — are  the  ouly  ones  who  wear  gold  cap-bands ;  taking 
their  turns  on  deck  as  first  and  second  officers,  and  main- 
taining the  jolliest  relations  as  between  themselves  and  the 
steersmen,  and  the  passengers  of  every  class.  Another  boiled- 
dinner  party  on  a  steamer  on  this  Swedish  excursion!  AYe 
are  fortunate. 

The  Venus  is  handsomely  fitted  \\y>  in  cabin  and  dining- 
saloon.  Plenty  of  red-plush  cushions  in  the  former,  and  con- 
venient tables  of  beautiful  wood  fastened  near  either  side  of 
the  paneled  wainscoting  of  the  latter.  All  the  crockery  is 
stamped,  and  all  the  spoons  and  cutlery  engraved  with  the 
name  of  the  vessel,  in  high-hotel  style.  And  the  Captain  sits 
down  the  first  morning  out  at  the  head  of  the  left-hand  table 
and  incidentally  mentions  that  he  left  New  Orleans  just  be- 
fore it  was  vacated  by  the  Confederate  forces  in  1862.  This 
is  a  voyage  of  coincidences. 

The  Venus  starts  at  11  o'clock  at  night,  and  you  are  ex- 
pected to  be  on  board  by  10.  You  may  be  on  board  by  8,  it 
is  suggested  at  the  office,  and  begin  your  affiliations  in  the 
forward  saloon  by  taking  a  delicious  cup  of  coffee  in  gossip- 
ing company  with  the  fine  old  lady  who  has  charge  of  the  eat- 
ing department  of  this  institution. 

Sweden  is  noted  for  its  excellent  coffee,  and  the  Venus  and 
its  companion  boat  have  a  s^iecial  reputation  of  superiority 
in  this  very  point  of  Java  flavor.  The  aroma  from  the  urn 
spreads  out  through  the  atmosphere  that  surrounds  the 
dock  of  the  Lilla  Bommens  Hamn,  this  evening  in  question, 
as  our  party  is  promenading  up  and  down  beside  the  steamer; 
and,  on  motion,  we  vote  unanimously  to  go  down  and  take 
a  cup  of  the  best. 

Eleven  o'clock  at  night  and  light  enough  for  me  to  make 
a  memorandum  of  several  pages,  as  I  sit  on  deck  at  the  time 
of  departure.  I  see  the  waving  of  white  handkerchiefs  when 
we  have  backed  several  hundred  feet  away  from  the  landing 
jDoint,  and  I  can  even  distinguish  the  color  of  the  scai'f  in  a 
young  gentleman's  hand,  as  he  stands  on  a  I'ope-peg  at  the 
corner  of  the  Hamn,  and  floiu'ishes  it  rapidly  in  adieu  to  a 


THE  GOTH  A   CANAL.— TROLHATTAN.  43 

waiting-maid  on  board,  that — well,  we  do  not  blame  him  for 
admiriug. 

T  notice  that  the  habit  here  is  to  wave  "good-bye"  until 
the  last  fraction  of  distance  is  reached  within  which  a  flut- 
tering cloth  can  be  seen.  A  national  custom,  is  it?  Illus- 
trative or  indicative  of  that  ardent  affection  here  existing, 
which  the  Captain  of  the  Belle  referred  to  and  boasted  of 
with  honest  pride? 

Prompt  to  a  minute,  at  10:45  the  whistle  blew ;  at  five 
minutes  to  11  the  bell  rang;  at  11  the  boat  pulled  its  nose 
out  of  the  slanting  space  it  had  occupied  at  a  neighborly 
angle  with  other  crafts  lying  at  the  same  wharf. 

Already  familiar  with  the  scenery  for  several  miles  up  the 
Elf,  and  knowing  that  we  must  be  on  deck  at  a  very  early 
hour  if  we  would  see  the  first  of  the  seventy-four  locks  on 
this  route  to  the  Capital  of  Sweden,  our  party  is  not  tardy 
in  getting  in  bunk,  after  the  signal  has  faded  from  the  range 
of  sight. 

Baedecker,  the  best,  and.  generally  speaking,  most  accurate 
of  guides,  is  certainly  in  error  when  he  intimates  that  the 
sleeping  quarters  on  these  little  steamers  are  uncomfortable, 
or  not  as  agreeable  as  could  reasonably  be  expected.  We 
'  all  say  that  we  must  write  to  our  favorite  and  highly  es- 
teemed author — guide  and  friend,  indeed! — and  gently  re- 
monstrate against  his  discouragement  to  travelers  who 
would  naturally  come  this  way :  testifying  that  our  first  and 
last  nights'  slumbers  on  board  were  of  the  most  refreshing 
character. 

At  4  o'clock  the  sound,  unusual  to  our  ears,  of  the  dash- 
ing or  "swashing"  in  the  first  lock  is  sufficient  to  rouse  us, 
and  jumping  up  we  see  that  our  cabin  windows  are  darkened 
by  the  closeness  of  granite  walls,  and  we  knoAV  at  once  that 
we  ai'e  boxed  up  in  the  first  trough  of  the  passage.  Although 
we  dress  with  all  speed  the  boat  is  "up"  before  we  are  on  a 
level  with  the  plane  No.  1  of  the  line  of  the  Gotha.  We  are  in 
a  short  canal — the  Channel  of  Strom — a  section  that  passes 
to  one  side  of  the  rapids  that  are  first  encountered. 

You  may  be  sure  that  advantage  has  been  taken  of  this  fall 


44  NORTHERN   EUROPE. 

of  six  or  eiglit  feet,  inclusive  of  the  grade  surmounted  by  the 
second  lock,  by  an  enterprising  mill  firm ;  and  a  village  of  200 
or  300  inhabitants — Lilla  Edit — has  grown  up  around  the 
forges.  For  a  distance  of  five  or  six  miles  above  the  second 
lock  we  steam  on  the  river  Orelf.  whose  channel  has  been 
regained,  and  then  suddenly  turning  to  the  right  we  face  the 
lower  series  of  locks  that  girt  the  Falls  of  Trolhattan. 

Baedecker  says  that  the  traveler's  patience  here  will  be 
sorely  tried  by  the  "numerous  dealers  in  photographs  and 
other  small  objects;"  but  such  was  not  our  experience.  We 
were,  however,  very  much  distressed  to  find  that  our  little 
company  of  passengers  was  altogether  insufficient  to  give  em- 
ployment to  all  the  boys  who  came  in  upon  us  with  proffers 
of  guidance.  But  a  selection  had  to  be  made,  of  course,  and  a 
hard  thing  it  was  to  decide  between  the  applicants.  By  a  con- 
certed distribution  of  small  coin  among  the  rejected  or  dis- 
appointed competitors  there  was  much  relief — on  all  hands. 
Again  we  dispute  the  assertions  of  all  the  trip  manuals ;  and 
declare  most  positively — for  the  benefit  and  warning,  even, 
of  all  who  may  come  after — that  guides  are  required  on  this 
short  but  devious  way,  or  rather  aloDg  these  crooked  paths — 
in  and  out  the  ragged  edges  that  border  the  falls.  Give  the 
boys  a  chance ;  their  services  are  needed,  and  they  are  good 
boys,  who,  having  earned  their  agreed  fee,  are  tested  by  an 
exact  payment.  They  go  away  with  thanks,  and  are  unmis- 
takably surprised  when  they  are  recalled  for  an  extra  25  ore, 
which  "each  separate  company  bestows  upon  them.  May  they 
all  retain  their  present  guileless  character,  and  may  some  of 
them  become  hansom  drivers  in  London — without  changing 
their  nature. 

And  here,  as  most  readers  will  understand,  we  are  not  mak- 
ing a  boast  of  our  great  liberality;  but  as  a  German  gentle- 
man said,  we  felt  that  the  lads  were  entitled  to  a  larger  sum 
than  they  asked.  And  here  let  us  not  fail,  as  in  duty  bound, 
to  protest  against  the  lavish,  wasteful,  and,  by  its  example  and 
encouragement,  most  iniquitous,  practice  of  some  travelers — 
especially  Americans — in  the  matter  of  throwing  large  gra- 
tuities to  any  person  who  does  them  a  service  under  any  em- 


THE   GOTH  A   CANAL.— TROLU AT  TAN. 


45 


ployment  or  volunteering  along  tlieir  routes.  It  is  not  a 
pleasant  thing  to  publicly  express  or  renew  this  protest ;  but 
the  habit  ought  to  be  dej^recated  on  every  available  occa- 
sion.   Those  who  have  not  beau  abroad  as  travelers  may,  and 


SIDNEY  W.  COOPER,  UNITED  STATES  CONSUL  TO  GOTHENBURG. 


probably  will,  criticise  this  continued  or  repeated  objection 
to  what  they  will  consider  a  generous  and  altogether  decent 
custom.  But  experience  will  bring  all  or  nearly  all  to  the 
same  judgment  in  the  premises  that  is  set  down  on  this  page. 


46  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

It  is  outrageous :  the  extravagant  manner  in  whicli  some  of 
our  people  toss  tlieir  small  change  about  among  those  \;\\o 
have  to  do  with  the  stranger,  as  servants  or  attendants; 
fostering  a  spirit  of  greed  and  rapacity  that  is  painful  in  its 
effects  upon  those  of  the  same  nation  who  come  after  with 
moderately,  or,  if  you  please,  meagerly  fui-nished  purses. 
It  is  not  alone,  indeed  it  is  not  frequently  the  case  that  the 
truly  generous,  the  actually  benevolent  ladies  and  gentle- 
men, indulge  in  this  pernicious  practice.  On  the  coiitrary, 
it  is  usually  the  coarse,  vulgar  men,  whose  wealth  has  come 
easily  through  dishonest  trade  or  professional  trickery — 
perhaps  sprung  from  bounties  jumped  or  lobbied  out  by 
themselves  or  their  agents,  or  acquii-ed  from  fraudulent  rail- 
road contracts  made  with  themselves,  whereby  they  have 
robbed  the  individuals  or  Government  that  intrusted  them 
with  funds  for  a  special  purpose,  or  gave  them  gifts  to  be 
sacredly  devoted  to  the  first  cause  of  a  great  public  enter- 
prise. These  creatures  create  or  stimulate  a  disposition  for 
extortionate  demand  upon  the  traveler  in  Euroj^e  that  you, 
my  good  friend,  who  may  be  now  inclined  or  disposed  to 
lightly  consider  this  notice,  will  suffer  from,  if  you  pass 
over  many  of  the  prescribed  lines  of  jom-neyings  in  Britain 
and  on  the  Continent.  Perchance  j'ou  will  thank  me  one  day 
for  joining  in  this  protest,  which  is  calculated  to  check  tliis 
habit,  or  fasten  against  it,  at  least,  a  rising  sentiment  of  repro- 
bation. Intelligent,  thoughtful  rich  men  and  women.who  have 
honestly  gotten  their  wealth,  are  not  often  guilty  of  the  i^rac- 
tice  to  which  we  refer. 

The  boat  turns  sharply  from  the  river  Orelf  to  the  locks. 
You  personally  then  turn  with  equal  abruptness  and  take  your 
path  in  another  direction:  to  the  eligible  points  of  view  along 
the  cataracts.  The  way  seems  plain  and  simple  at  first,  and 
you  may  be  at  the  outset  reminded  by  this  appearance  of  the 
declaration  of  the  prejudiced  guide-book  writers,  "Guide  su- 
perfluous ;"  but  you  will  soon  be  convinced  that  within  your 
allotted  time  for  observation  you  could  not  have  found  tbe 
"sites-for-seeing,"  as  they  are  called,  and  made  good  use  of 


THE  OOTHA   CANAL.— T ROLE  AT  TAN.  47 

the  limited  period  for  beholding,  except  our  little  friend  had 
been  with  you. 

In  ''seeing"  the  falls,"  yon  lose  the  opportunity  of  seeing  all 
the  old  canal  locks — the  ruins  of  the  work  that  was  done  un- 
der the  first  effort  to  surmovint  this  obstacle  in  the  waj*  of  nav- 
igation on  this  line,  and  also,  of  course,  are  deprived  of  the 
gratification  of  beholding  the  first  and  the  larger  success- 
ful work  of  locking,  around  this  great  ascent.  You  must 
choose  between  the  two,  and  of  course  nearly  every  one  who 
makes  the  passage  once  takes  in  preference  his  one  passing 
glance  at  the  greater  wonder,  at  the  marvel  from  the  hands 
of  nature ;  though  the  evidences  of  the  struggle  of  human  ge- 
nius at  the  beginning  of  this  combat  for  a  Avatercourse  of 
commerce  are  every  way  worthy  of  a  prolonged  observation 
and  study. 

I  applied  at  the  office  of  the  Canal  Steamboat  Company 
at  Gothenburg  for  a  stop-over  ticket,  such  as  we  are  accus- 
tomed to  obtain  in  America,  such  as  our  own  courteous  rail- 
road officials  are  accustomed  to  sanction  in  behalf  of  any 
tourist  who  has  a  mission  as  a  seeing  and  recording  trav- 
eler. But,  no ;  the  rule  was  inflexible :  you  must  go  through 
in  the  same  boat  on  the  same  trip-time,  on  each  starting.  If 
I  had  thought  it  was  of  so  much  consequence  as  it  was  after- 
ward disclosed  to  be,  that  more  time  should  be  had  at  Trol- 
hattan  and  Vadstena  and  Motella  than  is  afforded  on  the 
straight-through  schedule  voj'age,  I  would  have  bought  a 
ticket  from  place  to  place.  In  that  case  I  should  have  had 
three  days  at  Trolhattan  and  vicinity, ^ — a  space  of  time 
which  I  now  know  is  not  any  too  long  for  instruction  and 
entertainment.  I  mourned  my  inability  to  examine  the  desert- 
ed locks  and  the  working  of  the  granite  jaws  which  succeeded 
and  superceded  them.  But  we  did  see  the  falls ;  and  I  did  af- 
terward make  such  representations  in  varioiis  influential  quar- 
ters that  I  am  confident  a  sto2:»-over  period  will  be  agreed  up- 
on in  the  chambers  of  the  Board  of  Gotha  Canal  Steamboat 
Directors,  and  due  advertisement  made  accordingly;  for  which 
I  shall  be  entitled  to  credit, which  some  Americans  will  surely 


48 


NORTEERX  EUROPE. 


hereafter  mark  on  tlie  pages  of  their  diaries, —  and,  perhaps, 
engrave  on  the  wahs  of  some  of  these  boulders! 

Well.  Too  much  introduction  for  the  volume  of  the  book? 
Too  much  exordium,  too  many  preludes  for  the  body-speech 
or  narrative?  Perhaps  so.  In  fact,  I  admit  and  confess,  and 
beg  pardon,  and — come  to  business. 


CANAL  LOCKS,  NEAR  TEOLHATTAN, 

And  strictly  in  the  line  of  proper  description  of  this  visit 
to  this  remarkable  series  of  rapids  and  falls,  I  should  declare 
and  testify  that  they  are  a  well  regulated  succession  of  river 


THE   GOTIIA   CANAL.— TROLB AT  TAN.  49 

rusliings  and  cascades,  in  the  matter  of  comparison  and  cli- 
max. There  is  no  mistake  in  the  order  of  gradation  of  these 
wonders.  They  "-rise"  upon  you  in  every  sense  of  the  term. 
To  make  a  homely  illustration,  or  one  that  will  be  very  wide- 
ly xuulerstood.  I  will  say  that  it  is  like  "progress  of  events" 
iu  any  of  the  Kiralfy  Brothers'  spectacular  pieces,  or  like  the 
unfolding  of  one  of  their  settings  for  a  transformation  scene. 
First  comes  the  ordinary',  old-fashioned,  long-ago  familiar- 
ized, hackneyed  procession  of  spindle-legged  girls  iu  span- 
gles, for  a  ballet  performance  that  our  grandmothers  yawned 
over. — "Well,  if  this  is  all  there  is  of  Trolhattan  Falls,  I 
wish  I  had  stayed  with  the  Captain  on  the  deck  of  the 
Venus." — "Wait  a  moment,  ray  dear  sir.  The  curtain  is 
rolling  up,  and  there  is  a  shift  of  scenery  behind  the  first 
dance  and  drill  hall,  and  there  is  a  procession  coming  that 
yon  have  not  seen,  and  that  has  not  occurred  to  you  before." 
Then  picture  after  picture,  pantomime  after  pantomime  of 
superlative  beauty  is  displayed  in  rapid  succession!  So 
commonplace  rapids  at  first,  and  then!  ah,  then! 

Still  abiding  by  the  theater  for  hint  and  suggestion  of  effect 
produced,  let  me  tell  j'ou  of  a  man  from  Virginia  City,  with 
whom  I  once  journeyed  from  Reno  to  Chicago.  We  became 
very  well  acquainted  on  the  road,  and  be  was  evidentl}^  anx- 
ious to  remain  in  m}'  society  as  much  as  possible  until  the 
hour  should  arrive  when  we  must  part  at  the  door  of  an 
Eastern  railroad  station.  As  we  approached  Chicago  on  one 
December  evening,  he  looked  over  my  shoulder  at  the  news- 
paper I  was  reading  and  inquired  if  I  wouldn't  go  witli  him 
to  see  a  comed}'.  The  name  of  the  comedy  and  the  names  of 
the  well-known  actors  who  were  to  appear  in  it  were  pointed 
out  on  the  page  before  me.  It  Avas  an  attractive  play,  and  the 
comedians  were  of  our  best.  But  I  replied  that  I  had  noticed 
that  Edwin  Booth  was  to  play  "Richard  III."  at  Mc Vicar's 
that  night,  and  I  had  fixed  my  appetite  for  that  very  per- 
formance. My  esteemed  acquaintance  labored  to  dissuade 
me,  so  that  I  would  go  with  him  under  the  invitation  and  at 
his  expense.  Bat  finding  that  I  was  firm  in  my  determina- 
tion with  respect    to  the  little  matter — though   I   hope    I 


50  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

showed  him  that  I  -was  desirous  of  pleasing"  him  where  I 
could  eoiisisteutl}' — he  fiualW  said  in  a  manner  half  joking 
and  partly  quarrelsome:  ''Well,  if  the  mountain  won't  come 
to  Mahomet,  Mahomet  will  go  to  the  mountain."  And  so,  too 
loth  to  quit  company  for  the  sake  of  suiting  his  own  excited 
taste  for  amusement,  he  went  with  me  to  witness  our  great 
tragedian  in  his  masterly  presentation  of  that  masterpiece 
of  Shakesjieare,  ''Richard  III."  Repeatedly, inunediately  af- 
ter his  first  announcing — in  most  sullen  phrase — that  he  in- 
tended to  accompany  me,  he  spoke  of  his  resolution  to  go 
and  endure  the  pla}-  at  McVicker's  for  the  purpose  of  having 
an  opportunity  of  talking  to  me  between  the  acts  and  at  the 
close  of  the  performance.  His  conversation  on  this  subject 
was,  of  course,  in  an  indifferent  tone  of  raillery ;  though  now 
and  then  he  would  express  his  serious  surprise  at  my  prefer- 
ence for  such  a  "stupid  bore  of  a  traged3^"  ^Vnd  after  the 
first  act  was  over,  though  in  a  modified  way,  he  indulged  in 
similar  remarks  and  reflections.  But,  thei'e  came  the  second 
act,  and  a  sobriety  of  countenance  was  gradually  devel- 
oped— I  can  use  no  other  word  so  fitting — by  the  Washoe 
miner  at  my  side;  and  presently  he  began  to  draw  long- 
breaths  and  rub  his  hands  together  at  intervals,  iu  a  sudden, 
nervous  manner,  that  attracted  the  attention  of  many  who 
sat  adjacent — old  tragedy-hardened  theater-goers, — whose 
rather  compassionate  gaze  in  no  wise  disconcerted  or  troub- 
led my  friend, —  if  he  noticed  or  was  conscious  of  it.  And  by 
and  by,  when  some  lighter  jjassages  were  being  read,  he 
whispered,  but  without  turning  his  head,  '-Young  man,  I  am 
getting  3^our  money's  worth": — which  I  take  it  was  one  of  his 
strongest  current  sentences  of  commendation.  And  when 
Booth,  as  Richard,  wheeled  around  and  snarled  at  the  Queen, 
"I  hate  you;"  and  turning  again,  exclaimed,  "If  that  don't  kill 
her,  I  don't  knov>'  what  will ;"  I  was  slapped  on  the  back  by 
my  companion — who  had  never  taken  his  eyes  off  the  stage — 
as  he  muttered,  "My  God!  what  an  infernal  villain  that  fel- 
low"  is ! " 

On  our  way  back  to  the  hotel  there  was  no  frivolity — no 
hilarity — in   the   conversation   of   my   friend.     With   quiet 


THE   GOTUA    CANAL.— T ROLE  AT  TAN.  51 

earnestness  lie  asked  about  and  talked  about  the  character 
of  Richard  III — about  the  record  of  his  times ;  inquired  about 
the  best  historians  of  those  days ;  dwelt  with  solemn  impreca- 
tion on  the  traits  he  exhibited ;  and  linally,  with  great  grav- 
ity and  impressiveness,  thanked  me  over  and  over  again  for 
compelliug  him — those  were  his  words — to  go  and  listen  to 
such  a  play.  I  recalled  and  meditated  on  this  as  we  moved 
along  by  the  side  of  these  rapids  and  over  the  waters  of  the 
six  falls  of  Trolhattan. 

No  long,  precise  detail  of  description  will  you  expect  or  I 
attempt.  Such  a  description  at  my  best,  and  however  inde- 
pendently written,  might  prove  to  be  but  a  poor  paraphrase 
of  the  guide-books  that  assume  to  present  the  measurements 
and  comprehensively  the  arithmetic  of  the  scenes. 

It  is  true  that  some  of  the  lower  falls  are  higher  by  foot- 
rule  calculation  than  others  that  are  situated  farther  up  the 
stream ;  but  still  the  truth  of  my  assertion  remains :  that  the 
interest  and  the  reason  for  an  excited  feeling  of  awe  and  ad- 
miration increases  at  every  upward  step. 

"Falls"  not  always;  not  often  literal  cataracts, here  abound. 
I  have  not  counted  them.  The  books  that  I  have  seen  have 
undertaken  to  fully  or  exactly  number  them.  Eight  feet,  and 
twenty-three  feet,  twenty-live  feet,  forty-two  feet,  are  respect- 
ively set  down  for  the  Stampestrom,  the  Gullo,  the  Hel- 
vetes,  and  the  Toppo  falls.  But  I  dispute  the  assertion  that 
they  signify  grandeur,  or  sublimity,  or  beauty,  in  proportion 
to  their  elevation. 

As  I  have  probably,  with  sufficient  tax  upon  the  attention 
of  my  readers,  indicated  and  emphasized,  there  is  in  the  en- 
largening,  the  lengthening  or  broadening,  the  changing  view 
of  hight  or  depth,  gorge  or  chasm,  with  the  tumult  of  water 
within  and  around  and  beneath, — the  building,  by  stronger 
and  stronger  forces,  of  an  enthusiasm  of  rapture,  until  it 
seems  as  if  you  would  reverently  exclaim  before  your  Mak- 
er, as  an  old  translator  has  a  scripture:  "Lord,  this  mag- 
nificence doth  fill  and  satisfy;  yea.  it  doth  inspire  my  soul, 
until  I  can  bear  no  more."  And  this  cold  endeavor  to  inti- 
mate what  are  the  sensations  that  are  begotten  within  tlie 


52  2^' OR  r HERN  EUROPE. 

chambers  of  the  miuJ  by  the  glories  that  are  here  displayed 
seems  almost  like  a  sacrilegious  mockery  of  the  tremendous 
experience.  Not  Niagara,  -with  its  incomparably  grander 
distances  and  voices,  can  surpass  this  spectacle  of  granite 
hillside  and  plunging  waters, — in  the  touching,  and  rousing, 
and  thrilling,  of  the  finest  chords  for  music  that  answers  unto 
music  in  the  human  breast. 

Rescue  these  scenes,  also,  from  the  "enterprise"  of  the 
millman  and  the  manufacturer — as  New  York  has  done  for 
her  superlative  wonder.  Yes  ;  although  here  there  does  not 
as  yet  appear  to  be  a  gross  or  despoiling  intrusion  by  the 
hand  of  utility. 

Of  such  things  you  may  have  spoken  before;  and  you  may 
talk  of  them  hereafter.  Of  these  things  you  will  not  think, 
you  will  not  tolerate  consideration,  until  you  shall  have 
passed  beyond ;  and  the  charm  and  enchantment  of  the  per- 
spective of  rapids,  and  fountains,  and  cascades,  and  verging 
steeps  of  rocky  precipices  and  woodland,  with  the  many-keyed 
Anthem  of  the  thunder  of  the  floods,  shall  have  faded  from 
actual  sight  and  sound,  and  become  one  among  the  tran- 
scendentlv  glorious  memories  in  voui-  bosom  that  shall  never 
lose  its  power  and  vividness  in  ministering  to  your  enjoy- 
ment. 

From  a  point  just  below  the  Giant's  Caldron,  the  most  ex- 
tensive and  comprehensive  view  can  be  had; — except,  of 
course,  the  scene  from  the  tower. — which  is  not,  after  all,  so 
pleasant,  and  which  you  will  wish  you  had  taken  before  the 
one  recommended,  in  order  that  the  latter  might  be  the  last  in 
your  recollection.  V>\\i  from  the  swaying  bridge  that  reaches 
from  the  left  bank  to  the  Island  of  Toppo,  you  have  the  vis- 
ion of  visions!  Behold  It!  "With  what  a  sharp  and  indescriba- 
ble pang  of  regret  do  you  hear  the  warning  call  for  a  return 
to  the  shore,  and  to  this  rough,  matter-of-fact  world  again ! 

Surely  this  was  well  named  Trolhattan — the  gathering 
place  for  witches  of  old.  See!  this  is  not  an  insensate 
torrent.  This  is  a  vital,  living,  human  intelligence,  that  is  mov- 
ing before  and  beside  and  beneath  vou !  It  is  more.  Look ! 
How   majestical  the   waters  come  over  the  summit    imme- 


TROLRATTAN  TO    VENERSBORG.  $z 

diately  in  front  of  you  !  It  is  not  simply  volatile  matter.  It 
is  the  assumed  shape  and  the  stirring  form  of  one  of  the 
Northmen's  gods  that  is  here  ;  it  is  Old  Thor,  lying  prone 
at  your  feet,  slowly  nodding  his  forehead  with  the  dignity  of 
Deity,  while  ever  and  anon  there  is  tossed  in  your  face  from 
his  long,  flowing,  yellow  beard  great  drops  of  the  frosty  dew 
of  an  Artie  morning. 


V. 

TROLHATTAN  TO  VENERSBORG. 

Some  of  the  guide  books  appear  to  make  a  studied  effort 
to  dissuade  travelers  from  taking  the  Gotha  Canal  line  to 
Stockholm  from  Gothenburg  ;  one  referring  to  the  Falls  of 
Trolhattan  as  "not  worth  the  trip;"  another  remarking 
that  they  are  of  "comparatively  little  account,"  etc.;  but 
Baedecker,  with  characteristic  candor — although  he,  too, 
has  considerable  to  say  in  disparagement  of  the  route — ad- 
mits that  in  one  respect  the  falls  are  "unsurpassed  in  Eu- 
rope," and  "that  the  enormous  volume  of  water  makes  a 
spectacle  extremely  imposing."  That  which  in  his  judg- 
ment detracts  much  from  the  "effect"  of  the  principal  falls 
— namely,  the  islands  in  the  middle  of  the  stream — is,  I 
think,  justly  to  be  regarded  as  enhancing,  as  it  certainly 
greatly  diversifies,  the  interest  and  admiration  which  they 
excite.  Suppose  a  river  of  clear  water  at  some  angles,  or 
in  many  of  its  pitchings  tinged  with  a  saffron  hue  from  the 
color  of  the  rocks  beneath,  or  the  reflection  of  the  banks — 
a  river  of  the  size  of  the  Hudson  at  Albany,  or  of  the  Sac- 
ramento as  it  is  within  its  bed  at  highwater  mark  at  our 
Capital,  flowing  as  described  over  successive  declivities  of 
twenty-three  and  forty-two  and  twenty-five  feet.  The  entire 
descent  of  the  falls  proper  is  112  feet,  with  a  great  number 
of  eddies  and  rushings  and  side  caverns  and  mid-stream 
fountains  between  and  beyond,  in  a  distance  of  a  quarter  of 


54 


NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


TROLHATTAN    FALLS. 


a  mile  comprising  a  succession  of  cataracts,  cascades,  pools 
and  rapids — and  you  have,  I  think,  without  further  descrip- 
tion or  suggestion,  assurance  that  the  "spectacle"  is  indeed 
beautiful  and  sublime. 

The  very  disappointment  which  you  at  first  undergo  when 
you  leave  the  foot  of  the  locks  and  are  on  the  watch  for 
scenes  of  unusual  magnitude  or  picturesqueness  in  the 
movement  of  the  stream  and  the  surroundings  of  the 
country,  tends  to  make  your  delight  the  keener  as  the 
"vistas"  from  the  bordering  pathway  open  up  before  you. 


TROLHATTAN  TO   VENERSBORO.  55 

Of  course,  as  compared  with  the  Niagara,  these  falls  are 
of  dwarfish  dimensions  -  nor  is  there  here  that  reeling  sense 
of  grandeur — although  at  one  or  two  points  there  is  some- 
thing akin  to  it — that  you  may  have  or  are  likely  to-feel  in 
looking  down  from  some  great  altitude  into  the  Yosemite 
valley.  But  abiding,  awe-inspiring  results,  as  well  as  a  pe- 
culiar charm  and  a  fascination  for  the  immediate  moment 
of  beholding,  are  to  be  experienced  here  by  all  who  are  ca- 
pable of  receiving  such  emotions  and  disposed  to  cherish 
them  in  the  mind  and  heart. 

Trolhattan  itself  is  an  insignificant  appearing  town  or  vil- 
lage, situated  at  the  head  of  the  falls  ;  and  the  statement 
that  it  contains  three  thousand  inhabitants  makes  you  won- 
der where  all  the  people  who  claim  to  be  or  are  set  down  as 
residents  have  their  homes. 

Close  to  the  head  of  the  canal  is  a  mill  in  which  pine 
wood  is  ground  into  a  pulp  and  converted  into  paper;  a 
thick,  dark,  very  serviceable  kind  of  wrapping  material.  On 
the  doors  and  in  some  of  the  windows  of  this  manufactory 
— in  which  the  work  is  mostly  performed  by  women — are 
signs  in  different  languages  and  in  invariably  bad  grammar, 
inviting  you  to  stay  outside,  and  forcibly  announcing  to  you 
that  you  have  no  business  in  these  premises  that  the  pro- 
prietors are  aware  of;  and  the  intimation  distinctly  is  that 
they  do  not  wish  you  to  venture  on  any  inquiry  on  the  sub- 
ject. The  posted  literature  on  this  point  becomes  formid- 
able in  your  eyes  as  you  pass  around  the  main  building  on 
your  return  from  a  walk  to  the  opposite  bank,  and  you  in- 
voluntarily examine  your  breast  pockets  to  see  if  you  have 
your  passport  with  you. 

The  women  who  stood  at  or  who  came  to  the  large  door 
of  the  establishment  and  stared  at  us,  were  not  only  as  dirty 
as  their  occupation  required — poor  creatures — but  they  had 
the  lines  of  suffering  from  extraordinary  care  or  overwork 
stamped  indelibly  on  their  countenances.  It  was  about  our 
first  observation  of  women  at  hard  labor  in  Sweden  ;  and 
the  sight  was  shocking  to  some  of  our  party;  who  declared 


$6  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

that  they  would  have  preferred  to  forego  the  pleasure  of  a 
visit  to  any  falls  in  the  world  rather  than  to  be  compelled  to 
see  at  the  same  time  or  in  the  same  hour  such  an  exhibition 
of  wearisome,  slavish  toil,  and  its  consequences  as  marked 
on  these  wrinkled  countenances. 

There  is  a  hotel  at  Trolhattan  where  muddy  coffee  or 
sour  beer  can  be  had  at  memorable  prices. 

And  in  this  connection  I  will  state  that  I  inadvertently 
omitted  to  mention  that  there  are  photographs  of  the  falls 
and  vicinity  to  be  had  at  the  Tower,  from  whence  you  have 
a  complete  view  of  the  panorama,  at  a  charge  not  to  exceed 
three  times  as  much  as  you  can  buy  the  same  pictures  for  in 
Gothenburg  or  Stockholm.  There  is  something  here  that 
reminds  you  of  Chester  and  London  ;  where — in  the  first 
instance — views  of  the  old  Roman  wall  can  be  had  at  King 
Charles  Lookout  for  double  the  sum  asked  in  the  galleries 
where  they  were  printed  ;  and  where — in  London — in  and 
about  monuments  and  sacred  edifices,  even,  you  can  pay  big 
bonuses  for  indifferent  photographic  copies  of  inaccurate 
drawings  and  dauby  sketches,  made  by  artists  who,  as 
you  are  somehow  assured,  have  as  yet  gone  unwhipped  of 
justice. 

There  is  a  deaf  and  dumb  beggar  at  Trolhattan,  who  sa- 
lutes you  repeatedly.  He  has  no  memory  of  your  first  two 
givings.  He  has  a  ghastly  smile  and  a  military  gesture  that 
is  simply  irresistible.  It  was  some  time  before  any  of  us  knew 
what  his  malady  or  infirmity  was,  although  he  had  a  sign  on 
his  cap  that  told  the  whole  pitiful  story.  The  difficulty  was 
that  you  could  not  read  it  all  at  one  time;  and  it  was  ac- 
tually by  comparing  notes  that  we  first  ascertained  the  na- 
ture of  the  affliction.  Some  of  the  passengers  laughed  out- 
right on  this  very  account,  and  then  poured  a  handful  of 
coppers  into  the  unfortunate  man's  hand,  as  if  in  a  generos- 
itj'-provoking  fit  of  shame  over  their  levity  or  hilarity  in 
such  a  presence. 

In  front  of  the  hotel  there  appears  on  dress  parade  a  man 
with  a  gold  band  around  his  cap,  on  which  it  is  written  that  he 


TROLEATTAN  TO    VENER8B0RG.  57 

is  the  "Chief  of  guides;"  but  what  his  precise  functions  were 
we  could  not  learn — we  could  only  suspect.  The  German 
gentleman  remarked  that  the  liberality  of  tourists  would 
probably  be  much  reduced  in  the  matter  of  extra  fees  and 
donations  to  the  boys,  if  this  cap  put  in  an  appearance  at 
the  other  end  of  the  locks;  and  he  hoped  that  we  would  all 
write  to  our  friends  who  were  coming  this  v/ay  and  tell  them 
to  give  their  gratuities  to  the  lads  on  the  sly. 

In  spite  of  the  great  and  lasting  pleasure  of  the  view  we 
had  just  seen — and  let  nothing  of  this  present,  immediate 
record  detract  from  whatever  of  promise  and  stimulant  in 
favor  of  this  trip  there  may  be  to  any  reader,  in  what  has 
been  set  down  before  in  this  same  correspondence — we  were 
glad,  as  the  German  gentleman  phrased  it,  to  "trollelol 
away  from  the  town  of  Trolhattan."  When  he  was  glanced 
at  for  this,  with  a  sort  of  Pinafore  no-never  look  he  said  he 
had  acquired  some  vicious  habits  in  America — and  passed 
on. 

From  Trolhattan  the  steamer,  by  river  and  by  canal,  al- 
ternately passes  through  a  farming  section  of  country;  the 
valleys  in  which  these  waters  flow  having  a  strong  resem- 
blance to  the  New  England  landscapes,  as  some  on  board 
agree  in  testifying.  The  season  also  seems  to  be  advanced 
to  about  the  same  degree  as  that  to  which  we  were  accus- 
tomed in  Massachusetts.  But,  of  course,  there  were  strik- 
ing dissimiiarities  and  novelties  in  the  pictures. 

Here  we  began  to  feel  that  accelerated  sense,  which  was 
more  completely  developed  as  we  rode  from  Motala  to  Berg 
— a  sense  of  riding  in  a  chariot  with  noiseless  wheels  over 
dustless  roads,  over  verdure-clad  and  flower-sprinkled  fields 
— literally  pushed  over  the  green  sward  and  meadows  by 
some  unseen  but  powerful  hand.  Sitting  in  front  of  the 
pilot-house,  and  looking  at  the  country  on  either  side,  or  far 
away  in  front,  you  forget  that  you  are  on  the  water,  and 
take  in  the  whole  scene  as  from  a  carriage  window,  undis- 
tracted  by  noise  or  jar  of  any  kind;  and  there  was  a  very 
thrill  of  romance  in  waking  up,  as  it  were,  to  a  conscious- 


58  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

ness  of  threading  your  way  along  a  narrow  channel  defined 
by  grassy  banks  that  always  appeared  at  the  distance  of  a 
few  rods  in  advance  to  be  too  close  together  to  admit  of  a 
possible  passage  of  the  chubby  vessel  on  the  knob  of  whose 
cover  you  are  sitting.  Why,  this  is  a  little  fairy  toy-boat, 
and  we  are  playing  "  ride  a  rocking  racehorse  right  to  Bos- 
ton town:" — so  thinks  the  little  child  on  board,  and  so  say  we 
all.  But  it  is  not  to  Boston  town,  but  to  Venersborg  that  we 
are  going.  Here  is  a  town  of  5,000  inhabitants  lying  at  the 
first  point  where  the  Gotaelf  flows  out  from  Lake  Venern. 
It  is  situated  on  an  island,  though  you  would  not  know  that 
fact  from  what  you  can  see  from  the  boat.  The  hour  and 
a  half  that  we  would  prefer  to  have  had  at  Motala  or  Vad- 
stena  is  given  here,  by  the  grace  of  the  canal  boat  proprie- 
tors ;  and  we  go  off  and  up  to  visit  the  town,  of  which  the 
captain  correctly  says  that  there  is  a  church  and  a  market 
place,  and  a  water-tower  that  can  be  seen  from  the  outside. 

Long  before  you  reach  Venersborg,  (where  we  had  hoped 
to  visit  a  manual  school,)  the  spire  of  the  church  and  the 
high,  round  brick  water  reservoir  is  seen  staring  at  you 
with  a  severe  "What  are  you  coming  here  for  ?"  kind  of  sig- 
nificance— as  you  approach  their  base. 

Our  German  friend  comes  up  behind  us  as  we  step  on 
the  wharf.  He  is  laughing.  (He  usuall}''  laughs  by  a  pro- 
cess of  grunting  starts  and  fits.)  What  is  the  funny  thing 
now  ?  He  has  Baedecker  in  hand,  and  with  the  exclamation, 
"Best  thing  yet !"  points  to  this  sentence  :  "The  town  has 
been  frequently  burned  down,  and  now  consists  of  unusually 
spacious  streets."  Evidently  Baedecker  does  not  like  this 
route.  The  captain — good,  amiable  soul  that  he  is — says 
that  it  is  his  opinion  that  Baedecker  was  not  treated  as  well 
as  he  ought  to  have  been  on  his  journey  up  the  canal. 
That  is  all  he  says  about  him. 

There  is  a  market — closed.  There  is  a  church  in  the 
midst  of  a  little  grove-plaza  or  square — also  closed.  No 
janitor  in  sight,  though  I  think  he  could  have  gained  at 
least  a  half-dozen  kroners  in  the  aggregate  if  he  had  put  in 


TROLEATTAN  TO   VE2fERSB0RG. 


59 


an  appearance  with  his  keys  and  opened  the  portals  of  his 
sacred  edilice.  "Show  us  the  inside  of  any  house  and  we 
will  pay  you  for  it,"  announced  Herr  Wrangel,  speaking  vol- 
untarily to  the  invisible  guardians  of  the  place,  but  speaking 
authoritatively,  nevertheless,  for  all  the  parties  that  strag- 
gled along  before  or  beside  and  behind  him. 


VENERSBORG. 


A  little  girl  sat  knitting  on  one  of  the  benches  in  front  of 
the  kyrka.  "AVhat  church  is  this,  my  pretty  maid  !  "  in- 
quired a  lady  in  the  party  of  the  first  part.  "  Lutheran 
Episcopal  Church,"  was  the  reply,  in  an  excellent  English 
pronunciation,  and  in  such  a  musical  tone  of  voice  that 
every  one  within  hearing  distance  began  to  comment  upon 
it  and  to  try  to  enter  into  a  conversation  with  the  little  maid; 
beginning  simultaneously  to  speak  prophetically  of  another 
Christine  Nillson — and  all  that  sort  of  thing.  The  girl 
blushed  and  bent  over  her  half-finished  tidy  and  replied  no 
more.     She  had  evidently  exhausted  her  stock  of  English, 


6o  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

and  was  annoyed  if  not  offended  by  the  attention — some- 
what rude  at  times,  I  thought — that  was  paid  to  her.  After- 
wards, when  we  came  back  this  way,  a  Swedish  lady 
addressed  this  maiden  again,  and  obtained  from  her  in  her 
own  language  a  long  account  of  her  family  and  situation. 

We  looked  into  the  windows  of  the  church  as  well  as  we 
could.  Some  one  of  the  party  put  our  little  child  on  the 
window-sill  at  one  end,  and  got  her  report  as  to  the  interior. 
Strange  what  a  morbid  curiosity  there  is  in  human  nature 
with  respect  to  something  or  anything  that  is  locked  up  or 
has  "  No  admittance  "  on  the  doorpost !  There  was  a  gilded 
cross  over  the  altar  ;  there  was  a  huge  organ  ;  there  was  a 
mid-corner  pulpit  with  a  sounding  board  ;  there  were  most 
uncomfortable  pew  accommodations  for  about  a  thousand 
attendants,  and  standing  room  for  about  five  hundred  per- 
sons? What  more  of  importance  could  we  have  learned  if 
we  had  seen  the  interior  from  the  interior,  and  paid  twenty- 
five  ore  each  for  the  privilege  ?  Come  now  !  And  yet  we 
would  all  have  been  glad  to  have  made  that  deprecated  bar- 
gain. 

As  we  ascend  the  main  street  we  pass  by  a  restaurant, 
which  is  called  a  Masonic  Restaurant,  and  which  has  on  one 
of  its  doors  a  sign  similar  to  those  Masonic  emblems  of  high 
degree  that  are  planted  in  a  rock  by  the  side  of  one  of  the 
cascades  that  we  have  recently  visited.  We  are  tempted  to 
go  in  and  see  what  sort  of  fare  the  Templars  provide  within 
for  latter-day  pilgrims.  But  a  slatternly  housemaid  makes 
her  appearance  in  the  dining-room  as  we  are  about  to  enter, 
and  in  a  voice  that  is  not  at  all  musical,  but  quite  the  re- 
verse, shouts  to  some  other  housemaid  —  we  presume — 
(whom  we  are  glad  we  did  not  see,) — to  the  effect  that  she 
must  hurry  with  the  work  in  hand  so  as  to  attend  to  cook- 
ing for  the  customers  ;  and,  as  the  German  said — borrowing 
from  "  Bleak  House  "  this  time,  evidently — "  We  are  floored 
again." 

We  visited  the  outside* of  the  water  tower,  a  new,  round 
brick  structure  built  in  1881  ;  30  feet  in  diameter,  we  guess, 


TROLEATTAN  TO   VENERSBORG.  6i 

and  60  feet  in  height.     Herr  Wrangel  tried  the  door,  and 

put  his  jack-knife  under  the  windows.  He  then  said  " ." 

One  of  the  party  pinned  his  visiting  card  above  the  keyhole. 

Retracing  our  steps,  the  conversation  referred  to  was  had 
with  the  maid  in  the  grove.  She  was  an  orphan,  and  had 
two  sisters  dependent  on  her  for  their  support.  She  re- 
ceived the  contribution  that  the  janitor  perhaps  might  have 
had. 

In  all  this  time  and  during  all  this  march  from  the  vessel, 
occupying  half  an  hour  in  leisurely  sauntering  and  hesitat- 
ing— our  party  going  a  distance  of  fully  half  a  mile — we  saw 
not  a  solitary  person,  save  and  except  as  hereinbefore  noted. 
"In  the  name  of  all  that  is  Swedish,  and  by  all  the  gods  of 
the  Norsemen's  mythology,  what  sort  of  a  town  of  5,000  in- 
habitants is  this  ?"  finally  burst  out  our  friend  of  the  meer- 
schaum— with  his  native  brogue  exemplified  in  the  utter- 
ance of  at  least  every  other  word.  And  he  laid  his  velvet- 
tasseled  cap  down  upon  a  cobble-stone  and  walked  around 
it  and  picked  it  up.  Then  asked  for  a  loan  of  a  companion's 
opera  glass  and  took  an  observation  with  it  all  around  the 
horizon;  then  uttered  his  favorite  exclamation,  with  the  ad- 
dition of  "Not  a  soul !"  Then  he  walked,  with  unusual  rapidity 
for  him,  in  the  van  of  the  wandering  troop  to  the  steamer's 
plank.  Thereon  he  stood  and  shouted  to  the  captain,  "  Vat 
sort  of  a  sleepy  hollow  is  dis,  Captain  Petersen,  dot  you 
empties  us  into  for  an  hour  und  a  half  ?" 

"  Didn't  I  tell  you  there  was  nothing  to  be  seen  ?"  replied 
the  Captain. 

"  Did  you  ?" 

"I  did." 

"Veil,  you  vas  right,  0,1  forgot  dot  leetle  girl.  Dot 
vas  one  good  ding  we  did  see.  I  vill  give  her  dot  restau- 
rant in  my  vill." 

And  under  the  evident  impression  that  this  was  a  great 
joke,  our  German  tourist  gruntingly  laughed  deep  and  long 
while  on  his  way  to  his  seat  on  the  pilot-house  deck. 


62  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


VI. 
VENERSBORG    TO    STOCKHOLM. 

Almost  quiet  enough  to  be  the  actual  abiding  place  of  the 
Sleeping  Beauty  of  the  fairyland  or  garden,  of  which  we 
have  all  at  one  time  credulously  read  and  in  which  we  have 
all  taken  delight;  having  a  solitary  living  representative  in 
its  central  grove  that  was  worthy  of  being  adopted  as  the 
slumbering  enchantress  herself;  a  pleasant  village  with 
architectural  features  of  interest,  old  and  new  ;  situated  in 
the  valley  and  at  the  lake-bordering,  island-made  end  of  a 
plain  of  surpassing  loveliness  :  that  is  about  what  we  have 
to  say  of  Venersborg  in  a  passing,  comprehensive  and  fare- 
well paragraph.  While  we  regret  that  we  did  not  have  as 
much  time  as  was  given  us  here  at  Venersborg,  to  visit  other 
places  where  there  was  more  of  immediate  interest  to  be 
quickly  seen,  we  by  no  means  intend  to  leave  the  impression 
that  there  was  not  much  enjoyment  derived  from  our  stroll 
through  some  of  the  "spacious  streets  "  of  this  most  sedate 
and  noiseless  of  Swedish  towns. 

We  came  to  the  conclusion  that  a  large  share  of  the  popu- 
lation who  dwell  inside  of  the  village  were  at  the  hour  of 
our  visit  at  work  in  the  fields  adjacent  or  in  the  workshops 
that  stood  a  little  way  off  from  the  main  cluster  of  houses. 
So,  mounting  our  canal  coach  and  resuming,  with  our  excel- 
lent traveling  friend  from  Germany,  our  stations  for  obser- 
vation, we  saw  Venersborg  recede  as  we  had  seen  it  draw 
near  to  us — such  was  the  sensation,  rather  than  that  of  an 
approach,  on  our  momentum — with  audible  expressions  of 
unfei^^ned  sorrow.  As  Herr  Wrangel  said — (the  landlady 
of  the  steamer  called  him  Herr  Wrangel,) — it  was  a  debata- 
ble question  whether  we  should  or  should  not  have  ventured 


VENERSBORG    TO    STOCKHOLM.  6 


o 


into  that  Freemason's  tavern  and  bought  a  voluble  and 
probably  intelligent  and  gossiping  acquaintance,  whatever 
the  expense  in  silver  and  otherwise  might  have  been. 

Here  is  pointed  out  to  us  Mount  Halleberg,  435  feet  high; 
and  also  Mount  Hunneberg,  490  feet  high,  which  is  said  to 
be  completely  surrounded  with  charming  little  lakes  and 
picturesque  cascades.  Both  are  said  to  be  well  worth  a 
visit ;  the  former  having,  among  other  attractions,  an 
"attestupa,"  which  is  interpreted  to  be  a  place  from  which 
old  and  infirm  persons  threw  themselves  in  ancient  times,  to 
avoid  the  supposed  ignominy  of  dying  in  their  beds. 

We  are  at  the  foot  of  Lake  Yenern.  This  lake  is  a  little 
over  ICO  miles  long  and  50  miles  wide,  and  is  143  feet 
above  the  sea  level.  Its  average  depth  is  359  feet.  Thirty 
rivers  are  emptied  into  this  lake,  and  often  it  is  raised  in 
flood  time  10  feet  above  its  ordinary  level.  You  are  warned 
by  all  the  guide  books  that  storms  frequently  occur  on  this 
great  inland  sea,  and  may  be  experienced  at  any  season  of 
the  year;  and  if  you  are  liable  to  seasickness  you  can  have 
as  severe  an  attack  on  Lake  Yenern  as  in  the  mid-Atlantic 
— other  things  being  equal.  But  nearly  as  smooth  as  our 
canal  highway,  was  the  passage  we  made  across  the  lower 
half  of  this  beautiful  lake.  Soon  after  we  enter  upon  its 
waters  we  lose  sight  of  land  on  cur  east,  and  are  ten  miles 
distant  from  the  coast  or  shore  on  our  right. 

It  is  sixty  miles  from  Gothenburg  to  Yenersborg,  and  it 
is  eighty  miles  from  Yenersborg  to  the  point  where  we  enter 
upon  our  canal  track  again — at  a  place  called  Sjetorp  ;  but 
the  distance  is  made  in  the  one  case  in  twelve  hours,  and  in 
the  other  in  less  than  eight.  Our  fat  little  steamer  is  here  put 
on  full  head  and  best-go-ahead  behavior,  and  we  are  con- 
scious of  the  fact  that  we  are  bumping  along  at  a  goodly 
rate  of  speed.  Although  there  is  little  swaying,  there  is  that 
pounding  jar  that  was  rendered  so  familiar  to  our  ears  and 
— I  was  going  to  say  our  hearts — on  the  Alaska. 

It  is  daring  the  trip  across  this  lake  that  we  may  be  said 
to  have  formed  an    intimate  acquaintance  with  the  master 


64  NORTHERy  EUROPE. 

of  the  vessel ;  for  while  he  watches  on  his  14x12  feet  deck, 
we,  at  his  request,  sat  in  front  of  the  pilot-house  and  listened 
to  his  biographical  and  geographical  conversation.  He 
talked  well.  A  short  inquiry  winds  him  up  ;  and  you  will, 
doubtless,  get  nearly  as  much  as  there  can  be  edifyingly  said 
in  regard  to  a  given  locality  in  the  neighborhood  of  our 
voyage,  if  you  will  only  come  this  way  and  put  your  inter- 
rogatory and  hush  and  listen. 

In  particular  he  dwelt  upon  the  attractive  features  of  the 
hill  of  Kinnekule,  whose  outlines  he  showed  us  through  his 
glass,  just  after  we  had  passed  the  latitude  of  Lidkoping 
and  rounded  the  isle  of  Kolandso.  This  hill  of  Kinnekulle 
is  916  feet  high,  is  12  miles  long  by  five  miles  broad,  and  is 
composed  of  six  distinct  geological  formations.  There  are 
granite,  sandstone,  alum-slate,  limestone,  clay-slate  and 
trap-rock.  There  are  scores  of  grottoes  ;  there  are  high 
cliffs,  from  which  fine  views  are  to  be  seen  in  every  direc-. 
tion.  And  a  portion  of  the  hillside  is  very  fertile  ;  and  on 
a  portion  the  trees  are  the  largest  known  in  Sweden.  Ex- 
tensive granite  and  slate  quarries  are  on  the  west  side  ;  and 
the  water,  pure  and  soft,  is  often  "tapped  "  by  a  blast,  and 
bursts  forth  as  though  struck  by  the  wand  of  the  old  leader 
of  the  children  of  Israel.  Wild  apple  and  cherry  ti'ees,  with 
fruit  that  rivals  the  cultivated  European  species  in  appetiz- 
ing qualities,  are  to  be  found  on  all  portions  of  the  hill,  or 
range  of  hills,  that  come  under  this  name.  In  short,  so  en- 
ticing is  the  description  of  this  section  of  the  country  that 
we  have  from  the  captain,  that  we  join  with  our  German 
friend  in  the  proposition  that  the  Venus  be  headed  for  the 
shore,  and  leave  given  us  to  stop  over  in  this  vicinity  until 
the  next  boat  ;  and  when,  as  a  matter  of  course,  this  simple 
proposition  is  met  with  a  nay,  we  join  again  in  the  chorus, 
when  our  spokesman  sings  out,  "  \'ell,  den.  Captain,  we 
don't  want  to  hear  no  more  about  it  ;  because  such  dings  is 
an  aggravation  under  de  circumstances." 

Captain  C.  Reinhold  Samsio  has  been  going  to  sea  over 
thirty  years,  but  cannot  swim.     He    went   to  a  swimming 


TROLEATTAN  TO   VENERSBORG.  65 

school  when  he  was  a  boy,  as  boys  are  accustomed,  and, 
indeed,  are  compelled  to  do  in  Sweden  ;  but,  before  he  had 
gained  the  requisite  confidence,  which  is  the  main  element 
in  the  business,  his  teacher  became  irritated  at  his  relative 
lack  of  proficiency  or  daring,  and  gave  him  such  a  "long 
ducking  "  that  he  was  constrained  to  play  truant  towards 
that  gymnasium  ever  afterwards.  But,  notwithstanding  the 
fact  that  he  cannot  swim,  he  is  not  afraid  of  the  water.  He 
has  been  overboard  twice  in  the  Atlantic  ;  once  rescued  by 
a  fellow  seaman,  and  once  saved  by  a  piece  of  timber  that 
was  thrown  after  him. 

We  pass  between  the  islands  of  Thorso  and  Bromo,  which 
are  inhabited  principally  by  fishermen,  and  the  boats  of 
some  of  the  net  watchers  come  close  alongside.  The  little 
lighthouses  on  the  islands  are  curiosities  in  their  way.  The 
lanterns  are  often  set  in  the  sides  of  the  cottages,  sending 
a  gleam  in  only  one  direction.  They  afford  abundant  illu- 
mination for  the  household  as  well  as  a  safety-flash  for  the 
mariner.  Those  that  stand  as  light-houses,  separate  and 
alone,  look  like  a  short,  corpulent  woman  in  a  full-flowing 
white  skirt. 

The  path  from  Thorso  to  Sjetorp  is  indicated  by  small 
sticks — hoop  poles  we  would  call  them — and  the  inner  chan- 
nel is  very  devious.  In  the  night,  or  when  it  is  foggy 
weather,  the  boats  take  an  outer  track. 

As  far  as  our  eye  can  reach  along  the  line  of  the  shore, 
after  passing  the  northeast  bay  of  Thorso,  we  see  what  ap- 
pears to  be  a  small  sail  ;  and  such  we  suppose  it  to  be  for 
some  time,  until  the  mate,  who  has  now  come  on  deck,  in- 
forms us  that  it  is  the  lighthouse  to  the  left  of  the  canal 
entrance  at  Sjetorp.  a  few  scattered  houses  constitute  all 
there  is  of  the  hamlet.  Here  we  make  our  first  entry  by  a 
lock,  and  begin  the  third  stage  in  our  journey. 

There  are  twenty  locks  between  Sjetorp  and  Lake  Viken  ; 
and  I  walked  fully  one-third  of  that  distance  by  the  side  of 
the  canal.  From  the  Venern  to  the  Viken  is  about  twenty- 
one  of  our  miles.     Along  this  portion  of  the  route  we  met  a 


66  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

great  many  girls  and  boys  with  birchen  baskets  filled  with 
wild  strawberries  ;  which  delicious  berries  they  sell  for  ten 
ore  (or  about  two-and-half  cents,)  a  quart.  It  is  prob- 
ably unnecessary  to  remark  that  they  find  a  ready  and  stock- 
exhausting  market  for  their  goods. 

Nosegays  of  wild  flowers  are  also  offered  for  sale  at  the 
vakt  houses  by  the  pretty  barefooted  daughters  of  the  lock- 
tenders  ;  and  the  cabin  and  dining-room  of  the  Vemis  is 
soon  laden  with  the  richest  perfumes  that  Nature  can  yield. 
The  sailors  are  very  fond  of  roses  and  forget-me-nots;  and 
every  one  of  them  has  a  bunch  of  his  favorites  fastened  in 
his  cap  before  we  have  passed  the  third  lock  on  this  section 
of  the  canal. 

The  supply  of  milk  which  the  people  along  this  line  have 
for  sale  is  also  speedily  purchased  ;  and  by  getting  in  ad- 
vance of  the  steamer  one  or  two  locks  we  can  see  the  maids 
and  men  hastening  the  milking  operation,  or  beginning  that 
operation  in  advance  of  the  usual  hour — you  cannot  "hurry" 
that  job  very  much  ? — so  as  to  have  their  jars,  in  which  they 
offer  the  rich,  pure  article  for  sale,  full  to  the  brim,  when 
the  boat  shall  have  arrived  opposite  their  dairies. 

We  should  judge  that  there  had  not  been  much  foreign 
travel  this  way  during  this  season  as  yet,  even  if  we  had 
not  been  explicitly  so  informed  by  the  Captain  and  others 
on  board,  for  the  children  and  maids  gathered  around  us 
with  curious  and  inquiring  looks  at  every  watchhouse,  and 
took  great  delight  in  feeling  of  the  hat  and  dress  of  the 
child  who  walks  in  our  party  of  passengers.  But  there  is 
nothing  forward  or  impudently  intrusive  in  their  manners. 
They  make  friendly  advances  after  the  communication  of 
trade,  in  a  way  that  is  captivating  by  its  delicacy  ;  and  they 
are  so  much  gratified  when  you  interpret  their  wish — unex- 
pressed in  words — to  take  up  our  little  girl,  that  they  cannot 
repress  an  exclamation  of  joy  that  is,  or  would  be,  under- 
stood without  a  dictionary  anywhere.  The  elderly  inhabi- 
tants are  very  reserved,  and  some  of  them  have  an  almost 
austere  and  sullen  aspect  of  countenance. 


VENERSBORG  TO  STOCKHOLM  67 

When  the  steamer  approaches  a  lock  she  whistles — a  dis- 
tance of  a  half  a  mile  or  more — and  if  she  is  not  in  sight  of 
a  watchman,  by  reason  of  a  curve  in  the  canal,  the  signal  for 
coming  ahead  for  a  clear  lock  or  for  waiting,  is  given  by  a 
shrill  police-whistle  response.  If  the  steamer  officers  can  see 
the  gateway  that  is  far  ahead,  the  signal  for  "coming  ahead" 
consists  in  the  waving  of  a  red  flag  by  a  woman  or  little  girl. 
I  have  seen  this  flag  displayed  more  than  a  score  of  times  on 
this  trip,  and  invariably  in  the  hands  of  a  female. 

Here  again  we  ascend  to  the  hurricane  deck  and  renew  our 
charming  ride  through  and  apparently  over  the  meadows. 
The  hay  and  grain  look  well.  The  crop  is  said  to  be  "sure 
of  abundance"  in  this  part  of  the  country,  and  the  close-at- 
hand  and  the  distant  scenery  is  all  enchanting.  O,  my  friend, 
when  you  come  to  Sweden  next  summer,  or  the  next,  you 
must  take  this  trip.  Let  no  man  prevail  upon  you  to  pass  an- 
other way. 

What  is  it  that  gives  such  a  special  charm  to  this  landscape? 
That  something  v/hich  we  have  always  attached  to  it  when  we 
have  looked  at  pictures  of  it  in  days  gone  by?  Here  it  is,  just 
like  a  picture;  "pretty  as  a  picture!"  All  the  still  life  of  the 
canvas  and  the  engraving  is  here.  Faithful  engravings  you 
have  in  your  drawing-rooms  of  scenes  like  these.  What  is  it 
that  makes  this  so  precisely  the  copy  rather  than  the  original 
of  what  we  have  actually  beheld  before?  All  of  a  sudden  it 
flashes  upon  us:  What  is  it !  Why,  it  is  the  red  tiled  roofs 
of  these  large  and  small  houses  and  barns,  sheds  and  cottages. 

We  must  introduce  red  roofs  into  the  United  States.  We 
must  have  a  law  passed,  if  necessary  to  accomplish  the  object: 
providing  that  from  and  after  the  passage  of  said  Act,  in 
every  city  and  county,  every  housetop  cover,  cornice 
and  roof,  shall  be  as  crimson  as  gore!  Then  we  shall  have 
sometimes,  approximately,  the  picturesque  scenery  of  this  old 
country.  Oscar  Wilde's  knee-breeches  may  remain  an  un- 
settled proposition  for  revival  during  a  century  to  come,  with- 
out any  serious  detriment  to  the  taste  of  the  cultivated  classes 
in  America  and  the  enjoyment  of  all  mankind;  but  this  decree 
ought  to   be  on  our  statute  books  before  another  decade  is 


68  NORTHERN  EUROPE 

passed.  Let  the  law  first  be  enacted  in  California,  and  begin 
to  take  effect  on  Nob  Hill. 

The  locks  are  112x24  f'^^t  in  size,  and  often  the  steersman 
points  the  boat  into  one  of  them  without  touching  either  side. 
Then  the  Captain  or  the  mate  will  sing  out  "Bravo!"  and 
perhaps  will  clap  his  hands.  A  fine  of  500  crowns  (or  Si  25) 
is  affixed  as  a  penalty  for  touching  the  gates  with  the  prow  of 
the  boat.  Last  )'ear  a  steamer  poked  its  nose  through  one  of 
the  gates  and  caused  such  damage  as  to  stop  through-naviga- 
tion for  the  space  of  a  month.  The  company  owning  this 
careless  craft  had  to  pay   16,000  crowns  damage-money. 

The  waiting-maids  on  these  vessels  receive  ^2.50  a  month 
as  wages  from  the  company.  The  chambermaid  and  the  cook 
receive  12  kroners  a  month.  The  Captain  gets  300  kroners  a 
month — about  $75 — and  the  mate  receives  $50.  The  deck 
hands  receive  ^8  a  month. 

While  on  deck,  and  approaching  Toreboda,  our  party  diver- 
sified their  conversation  by  reference — first  made  by  the  Ger- 
man gentleman— to  the  Consulates  at  Gothenburg  and  Stock- 
holm. It  is  agreed  that  these  ought  not  to  be  places  for  rich 
gentlemen,  or  "billets"  for  war  veterans  who  have  no  special 
qualifications  for  such  a  place.  The  former,  as  experience  has 
shown,  will  not  attend  to  the  duties  of  the  office,  and  the  lat- 
ter cannot  do  so  with  credit  or  justice  to  the  Government  rep- 
resented. Nor  should  any  man  be  appointed  to  a  consulate 
in  a  nation  of  his  nativity. 

Toreboda  is  a  place  of  considerable  importance,  as  is  shown 
by  the  amount  of  freight  that  goes  off  at  this  point.  A  large 
invoice  of  petroleum  is  rolled  up  the  gangplank  at  this  land- 
ing A  few  oil  wells  have  been  discovered  in  Sweden,  but 
their  value  is  as  yet  said  to  be  problematical, — the  quality  so 
far  being  very  inferior.  The  United  States  still  supplies  this 
burning  fluid  to  the  people  of  Scandinavia.  The  principai 
business  of  the  Vice-Consul  at  Gothenburg — which  taxes  his 
intellect  and  strength  to  about  its  uttermost  capacity — is  to 
certify  to  the  Custom-house  at  New  York  or  Philadelphia  that 
so  manv  barrels  are  bona  fide  returned  as  oil-holding  barrels 
from  Sweden  to  the  American  republic.     It  is  not  necessary 


VENERSBORG  TO  STOCKHOLM  69 

that  the  American  flag  should  be  displayed  every  time  this 
exhaustive  work  is  done;  which  is  one  of  the  reasons  that  we 
have  had  assigned  for  not  displaying  it  at  all  over  the  door  or 
house  of  the  Consulate  on  any  occasion.  All  the  logic  of  this 
hinges  on  the  matter  of  oil  importation;  a  large  deposi-t  of 
which,  I  should  say,  was  made  on  this  trip,  from  our  steamer, 
at  the  Avharf  at  Toreboda. 

Something  has  to  be  lost  to  sight  in  a  sixty-hour  trip — con- 
tinuously made — and  therefore  withheld  from  memory  dear, 
on  this  vovage;  because  tired  nature  seeks  and  must  have  re- 
pose:— "sleej)  that  knits  up  the  raveled  sleeve  of  care,"  "balm 
of  hurt  minds."  Well,  if  you  had  heard  our  German  friend  drop 
into  poetry,  and  especially  into  Shakspeare,  about  bed-time,  you 
could  not  have  kept  this  much  of  paraphrasing  and  quotation 
out  of  your  diary,  except  by  such  special  and  painful  effort 
as  would  have  been  too  costly  a  price  for  the  exclusion. 

We  wake — having  passed  through  Lake  Viken  and  the  Bot- 
tensjo — to  witness  the  landing  at  Karlsburg.  We  swing  around 
a  corner  from  the  canal  to  touch  at  the  wharf  at  this  point: 
at  the  end  of  the  second  canal-section  from  Gothenburg  and 
on  the  shore  of  Lake  Vettern.  You  see  very  little  of  this 
place  as  a  "fortress;"  in  fact  the  uncompleted  fortifications  are 
so  far  distant  from  the  little  bay  into  which  the  steamer 
runs  that  not  much  more  than  a  tower,  about  100  feet  high  and 
25  feet  in  diameter,  with  a  flag  floating  therefrom,  is  obtained  in 
your  glance  on  this  journey  as  at  present  regulated.  As  be- 
tween Karlsburg,  Vadstena  and  Motala,  a  delightful  three  days 
stop-over,  at  least,  should  be  spent  by  the  traveller.  Karlsburg 
is  intended  to  be  a  "great  railway  point  and  place  of  refuge" 
in  case  of  invasion. 

Vadstena  is  situated  diagonally  from  Karlsburg, — across 
Lake  Vettern,  an  hour's  ride  from  the  fortress.  Close  to  the 
wharf  is  a  castle  which  Gustavus  Vasa  built  in  1500  and  some- 
thing; still  in  a  good  state  of  preservation. 

We  begged  the  captain  to  let  us  have  an  hour's  time  in  which 
to  visit  the  Abbey  of  St.  Briggita;  the  only  remains  of  the 
Monastery  of  Vadstena,  which  was  constructed  in  1395,  and 
which  is  old  enough  and  sufficiently  full  of  memories  of  Ro- 


70  NORTHERN  EUROPE 

mans  and  rascality  and  religious  consecration  to  satisfy  any 
searcher  after  the  ancient  abodes  and  haunts  of  warlike,  brutal 
men  and  devoted  Christian  women.  But,  certainly,  this  was 
an  unreasonable,  impudent  and  ridiculous  petition;  and  while 
every  one  of  the  passengers  had  encouraged  our  German  friend 
to  brace  up  and  make  the  request,  all  but  three  persons  of  real 
principle,  including  two  ladies,  treacherously  deserted  him  in 
his  hour  of  snubbing  and  defeat.  He  took  his  rebuff  philo- 
sophically, however.  He  merely  used  a  big,  big  D,  and  glared 
at  the  individuals  who  perfidiously  and  exasperatingly  remarked 
in  the  hearing  of  the  Captain,  "Of  course,  such  a  thing  could 
not  be  expected;"  and  then  he,  and  all  of  us,  went  to  see  the 
castle.  We  had  ten  minutes  for  that  purpose,  and  we  agreed 
to  keep  close  together,  so  that  if  the  Captain  went  off  before 
we  returned  he  would  make  a  wholesale  business  of  it.  I  at- 
tended a  little  to  the  covenant  on  this  arrangement  myself,  but 
after  we  left  the  steamer  and  were  on  our  way  to  the  castle  gate 
our  German  friend  privately  showed  me  an  English  bull-dog 
revolver,  which  he  had  concealed  on  his  person  informing 
me  in  a  phlegmatic  tone  of  voice,  "  I  fires  ven  the  first  man 
runs." 

Over  the  door  of  the  castle — which  was  formerly  entirely 
surrounded  by  a  moat,  and  which  is  now  partially  girt  about 
by  water — is  a  coat  of  arms,  and  the  end  sides  of  the  build- 
ing and  the  roof  immediately  above  are  adorned  with  medal- 
lions and  figures  and  statues  that  may  have  been  intended 
originally  to  represent  somebody,  in  all  seriousness,  but  which 
now  approach  the  grimly  grotesque  in  their  appearance. 

This  castle,  which  is  now  reported  as  "restored  "  is  used  as 
a  granary — when  it  is  used  at  all.  Most  of  the  immense  cham- 
bers are  vacant,  though  there  is  a  smell  of  the  rye — new  rye — 
in  most  of  the  rooms.  In  one  of  the  halls  on  the  first  floor  we 
found  a  man  engaged  in  sorting  and  sacking  the  staple  grain  of 
the  realm — (the  only  sacking  now  allowed,  our  German  friend 
explained, — with  a  grunting  demonstration) — and  he  gave  us 
all  a  sample  and  took  a  few  ores  with  an  obeisance  that  was  of 
itself  worth  the  money.  It  was  a  kind  of  a  dodging  bow,  as  if 
he  was  about  to  butt  us,  ram-fashion,  and  was  getting  quickly 


VENERSBORG    TO   STOCKHOLM 


71 


< 
> 

H 
W 
Z 
> 

n 

> 

H 
r 

R 


7  2  NOR  THERN  E  UROPE 

into  the  proper  attitude.  I  saw  that  our  German  friend  en- 
joyed it;  he  took  two  samples  and  feed  the  miller  twice. 

In  one  large  chamber  of  the  second  or  third  floor,  we 
noticed  the  remains  of  rude  frescoing,  and  on  the  sides  of 
the  window-openings  and  on  the  face  of  the  opposite  wall 
there  were  portraits  of  warriors  clad  in  mail  and  pages  dec- 
torated  with  ribbons.  This  must  have  been  a  dining-hall 
for  there  was  as  additional  suggestive,  circumstantial  evi- 
dence,— a  kitchen  close  at  hand. 

We  were  shown  the  window  out  of  which  one  of  Gustavus 
Vasa's  sons,  the  imbecile  Prince  Magnus  of  Ostrogotha, 
leaped  on  one  cold  night;  jumping  into  the  waves,  as  he  sup- 
posed to  meet  a  Nyad  of  the  Vettern,  who  was,  as  he  de- 
scribed it,  almost  insane  with  love  for  him.  It  was  a  long 
leap  of  at  least  forty  feet  (if  we  were  shown  the  right  win- 
dow), and  we  could  not  do  otherwise  than  sigh  and  repeat 
the  story  to  each  other,  as  well  as  feed  upon  it — according  to 
the  measure  of  our  respective  credulity. 

Just  then,  and  vrhen  we  were  getting  into  a  romantic  state 
of  mind,  the  steamer  whistle  blew  fiercely  and  there  were 
indications  of  a  stampede.  The  German  put  his  hands  be- 
hind his  coat  and  shouted,  "  Gentlemen,  the  first  man  that 
runs  gets  there  last."  The  whole  current  of  our  thoughts 
was  changed.  Several  members  of  the  party  stole  the  copy- 
right on  the  big  D.  In  the  confusion  that  ensued,  in  spite  of 
every  military  effort  at  discipline,  we  lost  our  way.  One 
lady  thought  she  had  sprained  her  ankle  in  going  down  one 
of  the  stairs  (the  stone  steps  were  very  much  worn),  and  had 
to  be  carried  the  rest  of  the  way  to  the  steamer;  where  and 
where  upon  she  proceeded  to  walk  about  as  lively  as  ever. 
When  we  regained  our  exit-line  we  marched  in  pretty  good 
style,  and  the  Captain,  who  had  no  idea  of  our  bonds,  said 
that  we  came  out  of  the  portcullis  and  across  the  drawbridge 
like  a  squad  of  infantry.  Whereupon  the  German,  who  was 
not  to  be  surpassed  nor  yet  superceded  in  the  dry  line,  spoke 
up  and  informed  the  Captain  that  the  artillery  was  where 
General  Heintzelman  after  the  first  battle  of  Bull  Run  is  re- 
ported to  have  jokingly  but  with  decided  injustice  said  he 
always  wanted  to  have  it  when  raw  troops  went  into  battle 


VENERSBORG  TO  STOCKHOLM 


73 


■ — in  the  rear.  Here  and  thereafter  we  had  occasion  to  ex- 
press surprise  at  the  famiharity  of  the  average  woman  with 
the  history  and  popular  gossip  ot  our  civil  war. 

At  Motala,  a  half-hours  ride  distant  from  Vadstena,  we 
turned  into  the  fourth  section,  and  thence  to  Berg;  passing 
over  or  through  that  which  is  undoubtedly  on  the  most  beau- 
tiful division  of  the  route. 

The  water  at  Motala  is  so  clear  that  you  can  see  the  bot- 
tom at  a  distance  of  fifteen  feet  as  well  as  you  can  see  your 
hand  when  held  flat  against  the  opposite  side  of  a  pure 
window-glass.  Such  transparency  of  water  I  never  saw 
before,  nor  yet  dreamed  possible. 

A  Swedish  man  and  wife  who  had  lived  three  years  in 
Michigan  here  left   the  Venus  and  took   the    cars    for    her 


GOTHA  CANAL  NEAR  BORENSHULT. 

father's  home.  These  were  the  first  acquaintances  we  made 
with  any  returning  Swedish  immigrants.  When  they  started 
for  their  old  home  they  were  very  homesick;  but  we  believe 
that  we  shall  meet  them  in  California. 

Ten  miles  below  Motala  is  Motala  Verkstad,  a  flourisliing 
manufacturing  village,  where  2,000  hands  are  employed  in 


74 


NORTHERN  EUROPE 


iron  factories.  The  works  are  said  to  be  driven  by  one 
water-wheel,  turned  by  the  water  of  the  canal  on  a  fall  of 
thirty-eight  feet.  On  a  "  through  trip  "  there  is  not  time  af- 
forded for  a  satisfactory  visit  to  this  place,  though  visitors 
are  gladly  welcomed. 

Soon  we  reach — walking  ahead  of  the  steamer — the  famous 
locks  of  Borenshult;  five  locks  that  let  the  vessel  down  49 
feet  into  Lake  Boren.  The  scenery  hereabouts  could  not 
be  surpassed  in  loveliness.  And  after  we  reach  Husbyfjol, 
which  we  do  in  an  hour  after  entering  the  lake,  we  pass  into 
a  canal,  where  we  sail  and  steam  along  for  four  hours  through 
aland  of  enchantment.  The  grounds  adjacent  to  the  canal 
are  well  described  by  Baedecker  as  "  park-like  in  character." 
A  party  of  French  gentlemen  who  came  on  board  at  Motala, 
following  the  advice 
of  the  guide  books, 
and  who  departed  at 
Norsholm,  and  who 
were  evidently  men 
of  much  travel  on 
the  Continent,  pro- 
nounced this  ride  the 
most  fascinating  that 
they  had  ever  en- 
joyed. I  use  their 
word  of  emphasis, 
but  I  cannot  give  by 
any  description  an  adequate  indication  of  the  animation 
which  they  imparted  to  their  language  by  their  gestures  and 
their  beaming  countenances.  One  declared  himself  blase 
as  a  tourist,  but  vowed  that  he  would  return  to  this  trip  on 
his  way  back  from  Stockholm,  although  he  had  planned  his 
journey  far  differently.  Imagine  a  canal  running  from  San 
Mateo  to  San  Jose,  through  a  country  as  finely  cultivated  as 
that  in  and  immediately  adjacent  to  Menlo  Park,  and  you  have 
some  faint  idea  of  the  marvelous  delights  of  this  passage. 

The  beautiful  village  of  Brunneby,  with  a  quaint  old 
church  is  now  passed,  on  our  right.  At,  or  rather  near.  Berg 
— for  the  boat  does  not  go  within  two  miles  of  that  town — 


BRUNNEBY. 


VENERSBOKG  TO  STOCKHOLM 


75 


CLOISTER    CHURCH. 


there  are  seven  descending  lock  steps  into  Lake  Roxen.  By 
the  side  of  this  monstrous  giant  stairway  we  sit,  while  the 
steamer  is  approaching  through  the  locks  above; — a  full  two 
hours  of  waiting,  but  which  seems  scarcely  half  that  time, 
so  enrapturously  ab-  ^^ 
sorbed  is  every  one  in 
silent  admiration  of 
the  scene  of  the 
meadow  and  lake  at 
our  feet,  and  the  far 
away  plains  on  the 
shore  and  wooded 
hills  in  the  horizon's 
edge,  and  the  sugges- 
tive and  curiosity-pro- 
voking old  church 
towers  on  our  right — distinctly  to  be  seen  in  the  general 
utline,  yet  too  dim  for  architectural  inspection.  This  to  the 
human  eye  is  the  very  perfection  of  nature.  Of  other  views 
bring  aid  to  our  recollection  through  the  art  of  the  painter 
or  the  photographer,  but  let  these  pictures  alone  in  the  gal- 
lery of  memory. 

At  Norsholm  we  pass  again  from  lake  to  an  artificial 
channel.  Here  our  French  tourists  and  several  other  most 
agreeable  passenger  companions  bid  us  "farewell,"  includ- 
ing our  Teuton  friend  who  had  endeared  himself  to  every- 
body on  board,  in  one  ■  way  or  another, — an  intelligent, 
kind-hearted,  jovial  gentleman,  whose  conceit  over  his  own 
attempts  at  humor  was  always  pardonable  and  sometimes  not 
without  justification  by  positive  merit.  May  we  meet  again; 
may  we  have  the  pleasure  of  v/elcominghim  to  San  Francisco. 

It  is  eleven  o'clock  at  night — and  light  enough  to  read  a 
paper  without  the  aid  of  a  candle — when  we  leave  Nors- 
holm. Early  next  morning  we  wake  to  find  ourselves  on  the 
Baltic  sea,  sailing  between  the  little  islands  that  thickly 
cluster  along  the  shore  line,  which  we  are  to  follow  on  our 
way  up  to  Sodertelje.  Asplangen,  Hulta,  Snovelstorp, 
Klamman,  Venneberga,  Karlsborg,  Marichof,  Soderkoping 
(which,  with  its  old  buildings,  and  its  new  and  mammoth 


76 


NORTHERN  EUROPE 


hydropathic  establishment,  is  another  great  argument  for  a 
stop-over  passage)  and  Liljesta,  are  passed  in  the  very  early 
morning  hours;  and  we  have  to  mourn  again  on  account  of  the 


SODERKOPING. 

recurring  evidence  of  our  mortality — that  which  Alexander 
sighed  over,  and  for  which  Sancho  Panza  gave  great  thanks- 
Every  record  of  this  kind  should  state  the  fact  that  after 
theseventy-fourth  lock 
is  passed,  three  from 
Soderkoping,  there  is 
to  be  seen  a  marble 
slab,  set  in  the  wall  of 
the  canal,  on  which  is 
engraved  in  Swedish 
these  words:  "  Except 
the  Lord  build  the 
house,  they  labor  but 
in  vain  that  build  it." 
We  thought  of  this 
most  appropriate  pass- 
age of  Scripture,  as  quoted  in  the  guidebook,  and  repeated  it 
aloud  as  we  stood  beside  Baron  Von  Platen's  grave  in  Dufve- 
dal,  and  cast  some  sprigs  of  green  on  the  slab  that  covers  the 
remains  of  the  chief  engineer  of  this  tremendous  enterprise. 
And  we  could  not  help  comparing  him  and  his  co-laborers 
and  supporters,  as  we  have  read  their  histories  and  studied 
their  characters,  with  the  men  who  received  our  Government 


GRAVE  OF  BARON  VON  PLATEN. 


VENERSBORG  TO  STOCKHOLM 


11 


MEM. 


Pacific  R.  R.  subsidy  loan  and  gift  of  lands,  and  took  a  noble 
engineer's  outline  of  a  transmount  railroad  and  built  an  iron 
highway  upon  it;  and  while  so  doing  conspired  with  each  other 
toobtain  four  to  six  times  the  cost  of  their  road,  under  the 
false  pretense  of  ^<7;/«/^  expenditures.  O,  what  a  desecra- 
ting juxtaposition  of  comparison  is  that!  There  is  only 
one  mode  of  excusing  and  justifying  such  joining  of  names 

and  biograpies — a  mo- 
mentary toleration  for 
the  moral  of  contrast 
and  execration. 

"  The  domain  of 
Mem  "  and  the  story  of 
the  hiding  of  the  silver 
statues  of  the  twelve 
apostles,  by  one  of  its 
former  proprietors,  Cal 
Bagge,  are  at  the  head- 
ings of  the  Captain's 
entertaining  talk.  At 
this  point  we  pass  near  the  picturesque  ruin  of  the  Castle  of 
Stegeborg.  Narrow  is  the  channel  and  crooked  is  the  way 
along  the  shore  of  Sweden  from  Gottenvick  to  Sodertelje. 
We  counted  23  islands  on  one  side  and  12  on  the  other  at  one 
time.  "  In  and  out  and  cross  lots,"  Ave  hear  some  cry;  and 
we  find  that  a  sailor  has  learned  an  appropriate  EngHsh  song, 
which  he  habitually  sings— or  attempts  to  sing— whenever  this 
part  of  the  trip  is  reached.  At  Safenud  lighthouse  we  stopped 
and  took  on  a  basket  of  sea  perch,  which  very  much  resem- 
bled our  Lake  Tahoe  trout  externally  and  by  their  flavor. 

The  chateau  of  Horningsholm,  on  the  site  of  an  old  castle, 
is  an  edifice  about  the  size  of  the  Metropolitan  hotel  in  New 
York,  two  stories  less  in  height  and  with  ared-tile  roof,  but 
otherwise  decidedly  like  the  great  hotel  on  Broadway. 

The  Sodertelje  that  faces  the  sea  has  nothing  of  interest  to 
show  this  Sunday  to  the  passer-by  save  the  outside  of  its  half 
dozen  of  hydropathic  hotels.  But  the  Industrial  School  for 
boys  near  by  sends  out  a  small  army  of  swimmers  to  give  us 
a  hurrah  of  welcome  from  the  docks  of  that  establishment. 


78 


NORTHERN  EUROPE 


As  we  pass  ?.round  the  canal  that  leads  to  Lake  Malaren, 
we  hear  the  sounds  of  the  church  bells  in  the  city  of  Soder- 
telje  proper,  joining  or  clashing  in  summoning  peals. 

At  Motala  there  was  no  escape  on  the  part  of  the  lady- 
passengers  from  the  lace  merchants,  who  sell  the  "  genuine, 
home-made  article  "  at  very  low  prices,  we  are  told;  and  at 
Soderielje  (where  there  are  a  number  of  steamers  from 
Stockholm  that  have  just  disembarked  crowds  of  excursion- 
ists) neither  man  woman  nor  child  can  escape  the  impor- 
tunities of  the  women 
who  sell  "kringlor  " 
and  "  papparkakor  " 
of  their  own  baking 
on  very  moderate 
terms.  Several  pass- 
engers, who  have  no 
hint  as  to  thequantity 
of  these  kinds  of  cake 
that  a  kroner  will 
buy,  find  thcmscvels 
loaded  down  with 
gingerbread — for  that  is  what  papparkakor  is — and  proceed 
to  wasteful  indulgence  in  pelting  each  other  with  pieces  of 
their  superflous,  crispy  provender  ammunition. 

Up  Lake  Malaren,  a  two  hours  passage  to  the  Capital  of 
Sweden  !  We  anxiously  watch  for  the  first  view  of  the  city 
that  is  to  be  had  from  the  pilot-house,  and  we  have  it  in  a 
sight  of  the  scaffold-circled  tower  of  Clara  Kyrka,  now  un- 
dergoing "reparation."  Then  we  notice  slowly  moving 
windmill  fans  of  enormous  dimensions.  Then,  suddenly, 
and  just  as  we  become  assured  of  our  object  and  get  a  stout 
"yaw"  from  the  steersman  in  response  to  our  inquiring 
ejaculation,  "  Stockholm  ?"  the  tall,  slender  iron  spire  of 
Riddarholms  Kyrka  topped  with  a  golden  cross  that  flashes  in 
the  midday  sun,  is  set  in  the  heavens;  and  the  whole  central 
picture  of  this  jewel  of  cities  is  before  us,  reposing  beneath 
this  holy  sign  and  between  loftier  ridges  that  rise  on  either 
hand  at  the  same  time  inclose  and  form  a  part  of  this  well- 
named,  wonderful  "  Venice  of  the  North." 


HORNINGSHOLM. 


STOCKHOLM  TO  STROM SHOLM  CASTLE  79 


VII. 
STOCKHOLM  TO  STROMSHOLM  CASTLE. 

I  think  that  most  travellers  in  Sweden  will  be  surprised  at 
first — however  much  they  may  have  read  beforehand  in  modern 
books  descriptive  of  the  life  and  the  homes  of  this  people — to 
find  such  large  tracts  of  country  that  would  come  under  the 
designation  of  "  rolling  land  "  in  America.  Here,  for  instance, 
is  a  view  that  nearly  makes  a  horizon-bound  plain  on  one  side. 

There  is  a  slight  eminence,  of  perhaps  fifteen  or  twenty  feet, 
in  the  centre  of  the  landscape  to  the  North  and  West  as  seen 
from  the  cavalry  ground  beyond  Stromsholm  Castle,  and  still 
bevond  the  ground  is  gently  rolling;  but  for  the  most  part  from 
Kolbeck  to  Quicksund  and  from  Westeras  to  Monktorp,  it  may 
be  said  that  it  is  one  valley.  Through  the  middle  of  this  near- 
ly level  reach  of  country  passes  the  Stromsholm  Canal;  which 
extends  from  the  Malare  Lake  at  this  point  up  to  the  mines  of 
Dalecarlia;  and  the  vessels  that  are  to  be  seen  constantly  mak- 
ing their  way  up  or  down  on  the  mirrory  surface  of  the  channel 
that  has  been  prepared  for  them  in  the  midst  of  the  meadows, 
lend  an  additional  charm  to  an  exceedingly  beautiful  picture, 
which  nature  had  already  provided. 

The  trip  from  Stockholm  to  Quicksund,  which  is  about  six 
miles  from  this  castle,  can  be  made  by  rail  or  steamer,  but  the 
latter  is  much  preferable.  The  little  steamers  are  of  40  tons 
burden,  and  their  quarters  are,  of  course,  very  contracted. 
But  they  are  really  very  comfortable;  large  enough  for  the 
the  trade  which  they  are  intended  to  meet;  and  they  run  like 
race-horses.  The  fare  for  first-class  passengers  is  one  and  a 
quarter  cents  a  mile. 

The  scenery  on  lake  Malaren  has  been  so  often  and  so  ex- 
tensively described,  that  I  hesitate  to  give  it  here  even  a  pass- 
ing comment.     It  has  not  been  over  praised  in  any  volume  that 


8o 


NORTHERN  EUROPE 


I  have  read.  There  is  a  sufficient  variety  and  pecuharity  to 
make  the  five-hours  passage  between  the  points  named  dehght- 
ful  and  memorable. 

Perhaps  the  most  remarkable  feature  for  record  is  the  mirage. 
Along  the  route  you  often  behold  the  painted  vessel  upon  the 
painted  sea.  And  oftentimes  at  this  season  a  score  of  little 
islands  that  lie  between  you  and  the  sun's  horizon  will  seem 
lifted  up  above  the  waters — ''Isles  of  the  blest"  floating  in 
the  sky. 

But  in  the  narrow  way  that  you  must  frequently  sail  along, 
through  the  woodland  and  mountain  declivity  close  beside  you, 
the  vista  of  lake  and  border  before  and  behind  is  marvelously 


STRENGNAS   CATHEDRAL. 

lovely,  and  is  entirely  worthy  of  the  much  abused  descriptive 
word"  exquisite.""  There  is  nothing  grand  or  in  that  sense  or 
direction  impressive  about  the  views  presented;  there  is  a  pen- 
sive serenity  in  all  the  prospect,  a  combination  of  pictures  that 
begets  a  feeling  of  quiet  pleasure  which  it  is  difficult  to  more 
than  hint  at,  and  which  it  seems  the  function  of  poetry  alone 
to  approximately  describe. 


STOCKHOLM  TO  STROM SHOLM  CASTLE 


8l 


We  stop  a  few  minutes  at  Strengnas,  an  Episcopal  town, 
where  Gustavus  Vasa  was  elected  king,  and  Chas.  IX.,  Sten 
Sture  the  elder,  and  Admiral  Stenback  are  buried. 

Over  three  hundred  years  ago  a  castle  was  built  at  Stroms- 
holm   by  Gustavus  Vasa;  wJio,  it  appears  to  me,  is  worthy  of 


fjTROMSHOLM    CASTLE. 


the  title — among  others — of  The  castle-builder  of  Sweden.  He 
made  a  present  of  the  structure  to  his  wife  Catherine  Stenback 
— a  lady  who  was  some  forty  years  liis  junior.  And  she  spent 
the  years  of  her  widowhood  here;  dying  at  the  age  of  92.  After 
the  old  castle  was  partly  destroyed  and,  in  the  course  of  nature, 
had  ])artly   gone  to  decay,    Queen  Eleonora,  wife  of  Charles 


82  NORTHERN  EUROPE 

X,  constructed  a  residence  here  which  retains  the  name  of 
"  castle."  The  building  is  not  a  fortified  edifice.  But  the  in- 
dications of  the  fact  that  this  place  was  once  occupied  by  a 
strongly  guarded  council,  are  to  be  seen  around  and  below. 
It  is  completely  surrounded  by  water;  the  Kolbacksa  being  di- 
vided a  short  distance  above  the  castle,  and  an  equally  distri- 
buted stream  flowing  on  either  side.  Here  was  doubtless  a  moat; 
and  draw-bridges  were  provided  on  the  front  and  at  the  rear. 
Such  is  tradition — if  not  history.  From  the  cellar,  subterranean 
passages  have  been  traced,  which  lead  out — deep  under  the 
island  and  under  the  channels  of  the  stream — and  which,  it  is 
believed,  once  afforded  means  of  escape  for  a  beleagured  gar- 
rison. 

The  present  structure — 200  years  old — is- a  3  story  building, 
with  a  high  basement,  and  with  a  cupola  nearly  in  the  centre, 
and  immediately  over  a  chapel  hall.  And  there  is  an  addi- 
tinal  story  in  the  four  square-cornered  towers.  The  whole 
edifice  is  about  200  feet  square.  It  is  of  brick  and  stone;  the 
body  being  painted  a  light  yellow,  with  white  pillars  and  black 
roof.  Altogether  it  has  a  quaint  appearance;  and  it  would  do 
very  well  for  the  main  "  location  "  of  a  novel.  Indeed  I  expect 
that  on  this  suggestion  several  romances  will  be  worked  up, 
with  Stromsholm  as  a  focalizing  and  radiating  point.  In  fact, 
I  have  almost  outlined  one  myself,  in  spite  of  an  effort  of  will 
against  it. 

The  immediate  surroundings  are  charming.  In  the  rear,  across 
the  stream,  are  two  broad  avenues,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  long, 
lined  with  beach  trees,  with  a  margin  of  gravelled  path.  The 
space  between  these  avenues,  which  are  shaded  by  trees  of  two 
centuries  growth,  being  a  lawn  about  four  hundred  feet  wide — 
extending  from  the  stream  to  a  thickly  planted  grove,  in  wh'ch 
the  reservation  for  this  royal  residence  terminates  on  the  East. 
In  front  there  is  a  regularly  shaded  park;  and  a  road,  straight 
as  an  arrow,  that  leads  from  the  castle  door  to  the  house  of  the 
superintendent  of  the  restate,  which  is  a  half  a  mile  distant,  and 
situated,  as  before  observed,  on  a  piece  of  ground  that  is  slight- 
ly elevated  above  the  adjoining  country. 

For  twenty  years  last  past  this  castle  has  not  been  occupied  as 


STOCKHOLM  TO  STROM SHOLM  CASTLE  83 

a  home  for  the  royal  family  or  any  of  its  retinue;  though  up  to 
the  date  of  the  death  of  the  last  king— who,  by  the  way,  was 
a  very  popular  sovereign — this  was  a  regular  summer  resort  for 
his  "majesty."  Twenty  years  ago,  and  prior  to  that  time, 
since  the  castle  was  built,  this  was  a  dwelling  for  the  nobility, 
or  for  some  distinguished  representatives  of  royalty  whenever 
it  was  not  the  abiding  place  of  the  king  and  of  his  own  house- 
hold. For  nearly  or  quite  two  hundred  years,  this  has  been 
the  scene  of  domestic  life  in  which  men  and  women  who  were 
born  to  a  title  were  the  principal  characters.  Now  it  is  almost 
exclusively  devoted  to  the  use  of  officers  in  attendance  upon 
the  riding  academy,  which  is  situated  near  the  house  of  the 
superintendent  of  the  farm  lands  of  this  district.  Six  royal 
apartments,  besides  the  dining  room,  are  still  reserved  as  "  His 
majesty's  drawing  rooms  and  bed  chambers;"  and  these  are 
shown  to  visitors  by  the  very  urbane  porter,  who  imparts  all 
needed  information  about  the  pictures;  etc.,  at  such  length  that 
it  is  evident  he  is  not  pressed  for  time  or  accustomed  to  this 
kind  of  demand  for  his  services. 

The  royal  apartments  face  to  the  East  and  to  the  North  and 
South ;  the  rooms  in  front  are  and  always  have  been  occupied 
by  the  officers  of  the  king's  guard.  The  tables  and  chairs  in 
the  large  drawing-room  are  arranged  as  they  were  left,  eleven 
years  ago,  when  the  last  royal  card  parties  gathered  here  for  a 
season  of  social  enjoyment.  The  satin  on  the  chairs  and  sofas 
— each  set  of  different  shade  and  pattern — is  much  worn  and 
faded;  and  notwithstanding  the  evidence  of  some  little  care  in 
keeping  the  rooms  free  from -or  relieved  from  dust  and  moths, 
the  whole  of  the  cloth  and  tapestry  and  paper  covering  has  a 
frayed  and  dilapidated  appearance. 

There  is  a  blue  bed-chamber  and  a  red  bed-chamber;  and 
on  the  couch  in  the  latter,  where  royality  has  often  reposed,  I 
laid  me  down  to  test  the  ancient  mattrass.  We  have  better 
beds  in  California,  in  every  country  hotel.  If  this  is  a  speci- 
men royal  couch — and  I  was  assured  that  it  was— no  wonder 
that  some  heads  that  wore  crowns  lay  uneasily  in  palace-cham- 
bers. Better  a  blanket  on  the  green  sod.  And  I  am  convinced 
that  a  pile  of  the  boasted  feather-beds  on  such  an  oval  basis 
would  rather  aggravate  than  improve  the  situation.     The  thick 


84 


NORTHERN  EUROPE 


curtains,  stiff  with  needlework  and  goldbands  and  gimp,  when 
allowed  to  fall  together,  absolutely  shut  out  the  light  and  fresh 
air,  and  were  sufficient  to  have  stifled  a  king  of  such  prodigious 
breath  as  Charles  XII.  if  they  were  in  place  about  him  for 
the  space  of  an  hour.  I  am  satisfied  that  he  did  not  patronize 
this  establishment  very  much;  or  if  he  visited  it  at  all,  he  had 
his  hammock  swung  under 
one  of  the  beech  trees  in  the 
grounds  behind  the  castle. 
I  have  seen  his  bed-net  else- 
where, and  know  that  he 
was  in  the  habit  of  taking  a 
siesta  in  it.  So  I  pass  into 
these  simple  suppositions. 

Here  is  a  large  life-size 
portrait  of  Queen  Eleonora. 
She  has  the  countenance  that 
is  generally  painted  on  the 
ladies*  royal  canvas  in  this 
country,  so  far  as  my  obser- 
vation goes;  the  exceptions 
to  the  rule  for  queenly 
beauty  being  rare  and  notice- 
able. There  is  the  long  face, 
with  flat  pasted  or  plated 
hair;  and  a  dress  very  much 
after  the  style  that  our  own 
dear  grandmothers  wore  in 
New  England  forty  years 
ago.  I  have  a  high  opinion 
of  Eleonora,  as  a  lady  of 
gracious  qualities,  and  I  am 
sorry  that   we   have  not  a 

good  Morse  photograph  of  her,  as  she  really  was  in  form  and 
features.  And  here  is  Charles  X.  and  his  family.  Here  is 
Charles  XII.  The  latter  somewhat  resembling  King  Henry 
the  VIII.  of  England.  This  painting  being  evidently  an  at- 
tempt to  actually  represent  on  canvas  the  lineaments  of  his 
majesty's   face,  bull-dog   tenacity   and  voluptuous  desire  are 


CHARLES   IX :    STATUE. 


STOCKHOLM  TO  STROM SHOLM  CASTLE  85 

prominently  indicated  in  his  physiognomy.  Over  the  doors 
leading  into  the  red  bed-chamber  are  two  paintings  that  have 
considerable  merit:  and  I  wonder  that  the  present  king  did 
not  order  them  sent  to  his  country  residence  near  Stockholm 
— along  with  the  greater  portion  of  linen  and  plate  that  he 
had  removed  shortly  after  his  brother  died.  They  are  scenes 
among  ruined'  temples — (Lakes  of  Baalbeck  or  Palmyra?) — and 
the  artist  deserves  mention  in  the  future  catalogues  of  art. 

All  the  rooms  have  closets,  the  doors  of  which  are  even  with 
the  walls — some  of  them  not  being  seen  by  the  visitor  unless 
his  attention  is  specially  attracted  to  them.  Two  or  three  of 
these  closets  connect  with  stairways  that  lead  to  the  cellars  be- 
neath, and  thence  afford  access  to  the  underground  galleries 
already  spoken  of.  They  are  supposed  to  be  convenient  pas- 
sages down  stairs  for  the  butler  and  wine  vault  keeper;  but  of 
course  we  know  already  that  these  were  roads  by  which  our 
assassins  came  in  and  went  out,  as  will  appear  in  our  future 
*'  Revelations  of  the  Mysteries  of  Stromsholm  " — revelations, 
perhaps  to  be  begun  in  the  next  chapter  and  continued  in  our 
next,  and  in  our  next,  etc. 

The  frescoing  on  the  walls  of  the  dining-room  is  of  compara- 
tively recent  date;  and  is  in  good  taste  and  appropriate  pat- 
tern. By  "  recent "  or  "  modern  "  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic 
you  are  always  to  understand  something  constructed  or  done 
within  a  couple  of  centuries  last  past, — as  already  indicated  in 
the  case  of  the  founding  of  the  city  of  Gotenberg.  Here 
is  indeed  a  "  banquet  hall  deserted." 

The  present  king  deigns  not  to  visit  this  once  beloved  coun- 
try residence  of  royalty.  He  has  not  crossed  the  threshold 
since  his  predecessor  died;  but  in  18S3  for  the  first  time  since 
his  coronation,  he  came  to  the  riding  school  by  the  early  morn- 
ing boat  from  the  capital,  and  returned  to  his  palace  at  night. 
Various  causes  are  assigned  by  the  peasantry  living  round 
about,  for  this  desertion  by  the  king  and  his  immediate  retinue. 
Some  say  that  his  wife  does  not  like  the  place,  and  that  he  has 
a  degree  of  respect  for  or  obedience  to  her  inclinations  that 
constrains  him  to  allow  her  to  appoint  their  summer  home. 
Others  say  that  he  is  disgusted  with  the  way  in  which  the 
crown  estate  in  these  parts  has  been  managed,  and  that  he  is 


86  NORTHERN  EUROPE 

determined  to  divide  up  and  sell  out  all  the  royal  patrimony  in 
this  neighborhood  at  the  earliest  practicable  moment. 

Whatever  may  be  the  true  reason  for  his  neglect  or  avoidance 
of  this  castle,  in  the  way  referred  to,  it  is  certain  that  the 
people  here-abouts  mourn  his  absence  and  speak  with  great 
intonation  of  sorrow  about  the  "  good  times  "  they  had  when 
the  favored  monarch  and  his  equally  beloved  queen  were  in 
the  habit  of  spending  a  full  fifth  of  the  year  at  Stromsholm. 

"  O  !  the  good  times  we  had  when  the  king  and  queen  at- 
tended service  in  our  chapel!" 

We  go  into  this  chapel  and  sit  down  in  one  of  the  pews. 
Shades  of  our  pilgrim  forefathers!  your  torture  benches  are 
here.  Ah!  but  go  up  into  the  royal  gallery; — or,  more  exactly, 
imagine  that  you  go  up  into  an  open  cupboard — which  immedi- 
ately faces  the  pulpit.  There  is  cushioned  comfort  for  you! 
Here  we  take  up  a  prayer-book  dated  1701.  "Modern,  "  of 
course !  Well,  the  print  is  as  clear  and  distinct  as  if  the  im- 
pression was  made  by  Bacon  &  Co.  day  before  yesterday.  In- 
deed, it  is  plainer  reading  than  the  average  of  such  pages,  in 
smaller  type,  from  the  press  of  Stockholm,  of  the  year 
1880. 

We  compare  line  for  line  on  this  particular  examination. 
The  broad  face  of  the  head  letters  is  jet  black,  after  183 
years  of  service  in  conveying  psalm  and  hvmn  and  prayer 
to  the  eye  and  heart  of  the  worshipper  in  this  little  attic  chapel 
of  Stromsholm  Castle. 


MONKTORP    TO  KOLBECK.  87 


VIII. 
MONKTORP  TO  KOLBECK. 

I  WRITE  in  the  shadow  of  one  of  the  oldest  churches  in  Swe- 
den,— -the  Kyrka  (  pronounced  chyrka  )  of  Monktorp.  As  the 
name  indicates,  this  ancient  structure  was  left  by  the  monks, 
who  built  and  occupied  it;  laying  its  corner-stone  some  time  in 
the  thirteenth  century;  their  ecclesiastical  successors  leaving  the 
premises  shortly  after  the  coronation  of  Gustavus  Vasa.  I 
must  confess  that  I  have  enjoyed  walking  along  its  aisles  and 
sitting  on  its  altar  stairs  and  reading  aloud  from  its  pulpit,  al- 
most as  much  as  I  delighted  in  indulging  in  much  more  limited 
but  similar  liberties  at  Westminister.  This  has  little  more 
space  than  the  famo.is  chapel  of  the  great  London  abbey — -not 
much  more  than  that;  and  this  has  no  Dickens  or  Livingston 
or  titled  dead  with  whom  we  may  be  said  to  have  been  ac- 
quainted. But  for  all  that  and  all  that,  there  is  glory  and  gloom 
enough  here,  in  the  presence  of  the  dead  of  whom  there  is  no 
record  outside  of  these  walls — in  the  memories  that  cluster 
about  this  district  and  centre  here — according  to  the  chronicles 
of  the  sages  in  the  dawning  of  this  national  history,  as  now 
accessible  to  human  perusal  and  scrutiny. 

In  the  splendid  abbey  at  Westminster  you  must  ordinarily 
share  your  privileges  for  inspection  and  meditation  with  many 
men  and  women  ( if  you  can  call  that  meditation,  which  you 
have  in  the  way  of  thoughtful  retrospect  and  serious  contem- 
plation about  now  and  a  to-come,  in  the  midst  of  a  promiscu- 
ous crowd  or  circle  of  stranger  visitors) ;  and  probably  you  will 
suffer  there  from  direct  intrusion  on  your  own  wise  or  your 
own  morbid  reflections  such  as  you  do  or  can  induluc  in. 
Here  I  have  this  sacred  edifice  all  to  myself.  The  minister 
sends  the  key  by  a  man  who  describes  himself  as  ''  he 
who  blows  the  organ."  No  questions  are  asked,  no  com- 
panions gathered  to  make  a  paying  party  for  the  talkative  old 
verger;  no  time  set  in  which  the  visit  must  be   made  and  an 


88  NORTHERN-  EUROPE. 

exit  taken.  For  a  time  unlimited — -'say  for  an  afternoon — 
I  am  the  householder  here.  It  is  well.  I  will  repeat  my 
service  over  different  stations  that  will  be  mentioned  and 
return  to  my  seat  in  the  nobleman's  pew  and  resume  my 
writing.  True:  the  comparison  and  contrast — the  difference 
— is  wide,  between  the  Abbey  of  the  Thames  and  an  ancient 
church  of  the  monks  of  Sweden,  remaining  in  a  country 
place  ;  but  for  all  that  and  all  that,  the  veins  of  thought  and 
reflection  that  are  opened  here,  are  much  the  same  and  often 
identical  in  nature  of  retrospect.  The  floor  is  paved  with 
brick — large  red  brick — and  so  hard  that,  although  it  is  the 
veritable  pavement  of  five  centuries  ago,  the  blocks  are  not 
worn  down  more  than  two  inches  on  an  average.  Here  and 
there  are  many  huge  slabs,  6x4  feet,  at  the  very  least,  on 
which  are  inscribed  the  names  of  holy  men  of  old,  who  were 
buried  beneath  these  stones  during  the  thirteenth,  fourteenth 
and  fifteenth  centuries.  One  in  particular  has  attracted  my 
attention.  I  cannot,  without  some  aid  from  the  present 
pastor  (which  I  may  solicit  by  and  by,)  exactly  make  out  the 
inscription;  but  I  know  from  the  decipherable  letters  en- 
graved, and  from  the  rude  and  yet  not  inartistic  outlines  of  a 
man  and  woman  on  the  granite,  that /;/V/a^^/ a  God-fearing, 
flock-guarding  pastor  of  the  fifteenth  century,  with  his  wife, 
Johannah,  by  his  side.  He  obeyed  the  master's  injunction 
and  fed  the  sheep;  and  she  was  a  helpmeet,  and  kept  open 
house  for  the  poor  and  needy.  And  she  and  he  were  worthy 
of  burial  close  beside  the  altar;  and  let  every  one  mark  the 
end  of  these  righteous  persons,  that  it  was  peace;  and  tread 
reverently  when  you  walk  near  this  precious  dust;  for  pre- 
cious in  the  sight  of  the  Lord  are  the  ashes  of  His  saints. 

The  reredos  stands  eight  or  ten  feet  Irom  the  rear  wall, 
and  is  of  carved  aud  gilded  wood.  There  are  a  cross  and 
life-size  statues  of  two  Apostles;  and  a  prayer-book  rests  on 
the  large  velvet-covered,  fringe-decorated  cushion.  The 
book  is  dated  1771,  and  the  letters  in  it  look  as  though  the 
ink  was  not  yet  fairly  dry.  It  would  seem  as  if  the  publish- 
ers of  the  few  religious  books  that  were  issued  a  century  ago 
printed  "  for  all  time,"  as  it  is  said  the  Egyptians  built  and 
Willam  Shakspeare  wrote. 


MONKTORP    TO  KOLBECK.  89 

In  the  pulpit,  which  proiects  from  one  of  the  pillars  that 
is  nearly  midway  between  the  altar  and  organ  loft,  there  is 
an  old  bible  that  is  of'  day  and  date — as  was  the  phrase  of 
the  man  who  let  me  in— 1 701.  There  is  not  a  leaf  missing, 
nor  one  page  torn  or  mutilated,  Certainly  most  of  us  have 
seen  bibles  printed  in  America  of  much  older  date;  but  the 
state  of  preservation  here,  as  well  as  the  excellence  of  the 
workmanship,  would  challenge  the  respectful  consideration 
of  my  friends  of  the  book  trade  who  are  fatigued  by  their 
enforced  familiarity  with  such  antiquities. 

By  the  way,  I  was  in  an  antiquarian  bookstore  in  Stock- 
holm, where  I  tried  to  make  a  small  stationery  purchase.  The 
youthful  clerk  could  not  satisfactorily  interpret  my  recent 
Swedish,  until  I  finally  contrived  to  inform  him  that  I  was  an 
American  from  San  Francisco,  where  we  had  an  antiquarian 
bookstore,  with  the  proprietor  of  which  I  was  slightly  ac- 
quainted. This  I  finally  made  clear  to  his  icke  forsta  com- 
prehension: and  thereafter  everything  I  uttered  was  plain  to 
his  understanding — so  he  protested.  I  believe  the  young  man 
dissembled,  out  of  pure  civility  or  out  of  an  increased  or  new- 
born sentiment  of  politeness  that  came  in  honor  of  a  foreign- 
er who  lived  in  a  city  that  was  of  sufficient  importance  to  have 
an  antiquarian  bookstore  in  it!  I  was  tempted  to  ask  him  if 
he  knew  or  had  heard  of  N.  Choynski;  but  I  was  afraid  that 
he  would  somehow  imply  that  he  did,  and  deepen  his  already 
manifest  guilt  in  the  line  of  courteous  equivocation. 

I  estimate  that  this  sacred  edifice  at  Monktorp  will  hold 
2,000  people,  and  last  Sunday  it  was  packed — so  says  the 
organ  blower.  There  was  not  standing  room  after  10:45. 
Eight  hundred  persons  took  communion. 

The  organ  is  a  magnificent  instrument;  larger  than  any  we 
have  in  San  Francisco.  It  was  built  by  the  late  Herr  A.  P. 
Hallden,  and  has  been  appraised  since  his  death  at  about 
5,000  crowns,  or  about  $1,300.  It  would  be  worth  fully 
^15,000  in  tlie  United  States. 

The  ]Knvs  of  the  church  are  raised  above  the  pavement  and 
are  floored  with  plank. 

By  the  side  of  the  pulpit,  convenient  to  the  hand  of  the 
preacher,  are  four  half-hour  sandglasses.     How  suggestive  of 


90  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

the  two  liours  of  sermon-speech  that  we  once  listened  to,  as  a 
boy,  in  a  church  in  Western  Massachusetts. 

"Do  they  still  keep  up  that  practice  of  elaborate  discours- 
ing in  Sweden  ?" 

"Nay,"  says  the  organ  blower,  when  so  inquired  of  at  the 
churchyard  gate,  "only  about  an  hour  and  a  half."  This 
uttered  as  though  the  reduction  in  time  was  enormous  and 
greatly  to  be  deplored. 

The  view  from  the  belfry  of  this  church  extends  fully  fifteen 
miles  on  every  side — a  greater  distance,  in  fact,  on  the  East. 
With  a  glance  you  can  thence  descry  the  tower  of  the  cathe- 
dral at  Westeras. 

This  parish  embraces  half  a  Swedish  mile  on  one  side  of 
the  Kyrka — to  the  West,  and  about  three  fifths  of  a  mile  on  the 
other  points  of  the  compass,  with  4,000  names  of  living  mem- 
bers on  the  baptismal  register.  Every  child  is  looked  after 
with  scrupulous  care.  At  Christmas  time  and  Easter  and 
Midsummer  Sundays  the  church  will  not  hold  the  people  who 
come  here  to  worship.  It  should  be  remembered  that  the 
established  church  in  Sweden  is  Episcopal 'L\x\\\QX3Xi,  and  not 
Evangelical  or  Congregational  I^utheran. 

In  this  connection  our  readers  may  be  reminded  that  a 
Swedish  mile  is  6  64-100  English  miles.  The  quarters  are 
marked  on  the  side  of  the  road  by  iron  plates,  about  three 
feet  high  by  one  foot  in  width,  which  are  firmly  set  in  a  stone 
curb,  which  is  built  up  four  or  five  feet  from  he  ground. 
The  measurement  is  from  the  principal  cities  or  towns  of  the 
district.  The  mile-stones  are  stamped  with  the  name  of  the 
sovereign  who  caused  them  to  be  erected;  with  crown  and 
date. 

You  will  notice  here  old  foot  boards,  marked  with  names 
or  initials,  set  at  varying  distances  along  the  side  of  the  pub- 
lic highways.  These  mark  the  sections  of  the  road  which  are 
to  be  taken  care  of  during  the  summer  by  the  farmers  resid- 
ing within  the  given  boundaries;  who  are  thus  notified  to  "turn- 
pike" in  the  Spring  and  gravel  cover  in  the  Fall.  And  by 
the  same  token,  it  is  ordered  that  this  year  certain  denoted  por- 
tions of  the  road  are  to  be  kept  open  during  the  Winter  by 
certain  individuals. 


MONKTORP  TO  K'OLBECK.  91 

Just  outside  of  the  churchyard  we  see  a  snow-plough,  twen- 
ty-three English  feet  in  length,  regularly  broadening  from  the 
apex  to  the  fifteen  feet  of  prescribed  track  width.  Those 
living  alongside  or  near  the  public  road  must  keep  a  path  open 
for  travel  through  the  snowy  season  on  peril  of  a  heavy  fine, 
which  is  inavaribly  imposed  and  exacted  where  there  is  failure 
to  comply  with  the  law. 

"How  deep  does  the  snow  fall  in  this  vicinity?"  we  in- 
quire. 

The  reply  is  :  "Well,  this  is  the  grave  of  Herr  Hallden, 
who  built  the  organ  you  admired  so  much.  He  was  buried 
here  in  February,  1881.  We  had  to  dig  a  trench  from  the 
top  of  these  trees  (  pointing  to  a  branch  at  least  ten  feet  high  ) 
before  we  reached  the  surface  of  the  ground  in  which  we 
made  his  grave." 

We  went  onto  say:  "Then  the  quarter-mile  plates  are 
covered  up  in  Winter?" 

"  Nay  :  they  must  be  uncovered,  or  it  must  be  shown  where 
they  are  when  the  road  is  broken." 

The  walls  of  this  church  are  five  feet  thick.  There  is  no 
provision  for  heating  in  Winter,  and  the  cold  is,  ot  course, 
often  intense.  The  women  bring  their  foot-stoves  with 
them,  if  they  have  such  comforts  or  luxuries  ;  and  the  next 
neighbors — those  living  nearest  to  the  church — heat  bricks 
for  the  poor  old  women  who  have  not  or  cannot  bring  live 
coals  on  which  to  rest  their  feet. 

"What  does  the  minister  get  per  year — that  is,  what  does 
his  receipts  amount  to  in  money  valuation  ?  "   we  inquired. 

''  About  6,oco  kroners,"  is  the  estimate  of  oarvagn  driver. 

"  What  is  the  pay  of  tue  organist  ?  " 

"  Well,  Herr  Hallden  got  about  3,000  kroners  a  year  ;  but 
he  was  worth  as  much  as  the  minister,  and  more,  too.  He 
was  every  man's  friend  that  needed  a  friend,  which  is  more 
than  can  be  said  of  the  minister." 

These  people  will  drag  in  a  great  deal  of  side-bar  inform- 
ation and  comment ;  and  here  I  find  much  of  it — in  my  note- 
book. 

"  What  wages  do  those  women  get  that  are  working  in  the 
field  yonder  raking  hay  ?  " 


Q2  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

"  Seventy-five  ore  a  day,  if  they  work  full  time." 

"  What  is  full  time  ?  " 

"  From  5  o'clock  in  the  morning  until  8  at  night." 

"  But  they  have  an  intermission  for  meals  ?"  we  suggest. 

"Two"hours  in  all — \\Ai  an  hour  for  breakfast,  an  hour 
for  dinner  and  half  an  hour  for  evening  lunch.'' 

'■  These  women  with  yoked  pails  are  going  to  milk  ?  "  we 
say. 

"  Yes  ;  only  women  folks  milk.  No  men  milk.  It  is 
against  the  law." 

"  Against  the  law  for  a  man  to  milk  a  cow  ?  " 

"  Yes,  all  the  cows  would  go  with  full  bags  to-night  if 
there  were  no  women  to  milk  them." 

"  But  the  men  could  milk  as  well  as  the  women  ? " 

"  Nay,  the  women  must  do  the  milking  !  "  (  Spoken  with 
an  almost  provoking  emphasis  of  contempt  for  any  other 
idea  ;  spoken  as  if  I  proposed  to  change  the  custom  of  ages 
and  put  another  yoke  on  the  already  overburdened  male 
population  of  this  district  in  Sweden  ) 

"  Do  you  see  that  space  in  there,  surrounded  by  a  circle  of 
stones  ?"  inquired  one  of  our  companions,  as  we  rode  along 
on  the  wooded  knoll  that  separates  the  parishes  of  Monktorp 
and   Kolbeck. 

"  Yes." 

"  Well,  there  was  the  last  execution  for  capital  offense  that 
has  taken  place  in  this  vicinity.  I  remember  it.  A  woman 
was  beheaded  there  for  poisoning  her  lover's  father,  wlio 
would  not  allow  a  son  to  marry  a  servant.  That  low  spot 
right  opposite  is  the  spot  where  the  execution  block  was  set 

up." 

The  driver  uttered  a  long  whurr,  which  is  the  signal  here 
for  horses  to  "  whoa,"  at  the  instant  when  he  was  tapped  on 
the  shoulder  with  an  umbrella  that  was  in  the  hands  of  this 
witness  to  the  execution.  "  There  is  where  the  block  was  ; 
and  the  soldiers  stood  around  here,  just  outside  of  this  line 
of  stones.  There  were  hundreds  of  people  crowding  up  to 
see  the  bloody  sight,  but  not  one-half  of  them  had  the  satis- 
faction ot  seeing  anything  but  the  headsman  and  the  axe  and 
the  bloody  stains   on  the  block  and   ground.     Only   those 


MONKTORP   TO  KOLBECK.  93 

close  to  the  circle  of  soldiers  could  witness  the  beheading. 
The  body  was  taken  a>vay  as  soon  as  the  decapitation  was 
performed.  But  for  years  afterward  people  would  come 
here  in  scores — particularly  on  Sunday — to  view  the  place." 

We  rode  on  perhaps  a  half  of  an  English  mile,  when  we 
came  to  a  cluster  of  cottages  ;  two  or  three  on  each  side  of 
the  road.  We  go  into  one,  to  make  a  specimen  observation  of 
the  homes  of  the  laboring  classes  in  this  section.  There  is  a 
loom  here,  as  there  is  in  nearly  every  one  of  the  houses  in 
such  little  communities.  There  was  a  very  old  lady  in  the 
corner  nearest  the  hearth — which  is  raised,  as  in  all  cottages, 
like  a  blacksmith's  forge.  A  copper  kettle  is  set  over  a  few 
sticks  of  wood  ;  and  we  presently  ascertain  that  it  has  a  doz- 
en small  potatoes  in  it,  boiling  for  a  family  of  four.  Anoth- 
er elderly  lady  sat  on  a  bench  or  lounge  near  a  window 
which  was  on  the  side  of  the  room  opposite  to  the  fire-place. 
Both  of  these  dames  were  engaged  in  knitting  ;  although  the 
one  first  seen  had  before  her  a  reel,  from  which  she  began  to 
unwind  yarn  soon  after  we  entered. 

We  were  bade  to  enter  as  soon  as  we  looked  at  the  open 
door;  the  dames  rising  and  courtesying  as  we  entered.  How 
pleasant  it  is  to  see  this  old-fashioned  method  of  female 
salutation.  "  Will  we  be  seated  .?  "  And  the  younger  of  the 
two  old  ladies  goes  to  the  chimney  corner  and  takes  down  the 
copper  coffee  kettle.  We  know  what  is  to  be  proffered  :  the 
invariable  coffee  inyitation  in  these  hospitable  homes  of  the 
poor.  It  is  easy  to  get  in  conversation  with  these  people  ; 
and  they  are  unmistakably  pleased  at  our  visit.  When  vve 
tell  them  that  we  are  from  America,  they  start  and  stare — 
evidently  more  gratified  by  our  visit  than  before.  And  when 
we  say  "  California,"  "  San  Francisco,"  they  exclaim  :  "  O  ! 
that's  so  ?  "  and  after  a  long  breath,  "  That's  so,  O  !  "  We 
inquired.  How  old  is  the  eldest  of  this  aged  couple  ? 
"  Eighty-six  last  November."  She  is  very  much  stooped, 
but  she  is  still  able  to  walk  about  quickly;  and  her  eyes  are 
as  bright  and  her  cheeks  are  as  red  as  those  of  a  girl  of  16. 
She  knits  without  glasses.  We  make  remarks  aboui  her  not 
looking  as  old  as  she  admits  she  is.  She  replies:  "  Oh,  yes; 
I  was  86  on  the   20th  of  last   November.     But   I    am  bent 


94  -^OR  THERX  E  UR  OPE. 

down  with  hard  work."  This  is  said  in  a  cheerful  tone  of 
voice;  a  simple  statement,  doubtless,  of  the  fact.  The 
younger  of  the  two  is  71,  and,  positively,  she  does  not  look 
to  be  over  50  years  of  age.  There  are  no  gray  hairs  in  her 
head,  and  very  few  in  those  of  her  mother-in-law;  such 
proving  to  be  the  relation  between  the  two.  One  of  our  com- 
panions, who  had  been  in  this  neighborhood  before,  begins 
lo  inquire  about  this  and  that  person  who  formerly  resided 
in  the  parish.  There  is  no  hesitation  in  the  replies.  These 
women  know  or  knew  them  all;  and  for  a  radius  of  ten 
miles — as  we  are  told  on  good  authority — their  domestic  in- 
formation is  ready  and  complete. 

The  husband  of  the  oldest  has  been  dead  these  fifteen 
years.  Her  son,  aged  68,  is  in  the  fields,  earning  a  kroner 
and  a  half  a  day  by  working  from  5  in  the  morning  until  8 
at  night.  The  two  women  together  can  earn  at  home,  with 
their  knitting  and  weaving,  about  eighty  ore,  or  twenty  cents, 
a  day.  There  is  a  daughter  of  47  years  at  work  in  the  fields 
also.  She  earns  seventy-five  ore  a  day  by  laboring  the  same 
hours  that  have  been  already  recorded. 

We  ask:  Do  they  own  the  house  in  which  they  live  ? 
"  Nay;  it  belongs  to  the  estate."  The  estate  is  in  charge  of 
a  superintendent,  to  whom  so  much  service  must  be  rendered 
for  the  land,  and  so  much  labor  done  for  a  stipulated  amount 
of  mackerel  and  rye  and  potatoes.  But  this  family  is  not 
bound  to  the  great  farm  and  its  management,  as  are  most 
famiHes  who  live  under  similar  renting. 

How  much  is  the  rent  of  this  cottage — two  rooms  down 
stairs  and  two  rooms  up  stairs  ?  "  Thirty-five  kroners  a 
year.  A  patch  of  two  acres  and  a  half  for  potatoes  goes 
with  the  house,  on  the  same  rental." 

We  inquire:  "  Are  there  any  children  belonging  to  this 
household  ?"  "  O,  yes."  The  widowed  daughter  of  47  has 
five  children.  One  child  is  25.  He  is  a  soldier.  One  is  2c 
years  of  age.  She  is  a  girl  in  service  near  the  castle.  She 
is  a  good  cook,  and  gets  one  hundred  kroners  a  year.  This 
is  dwelt  upon  with  great  pride.  She  wants  to  go  to  America; 
and  we  must  see  her  and  tell  her  all  about  that  country; 
what  line  she  had  best  sail  by,  and  where  she  had  best  land; 


MONK  TOR  P   TO  KOLBECK'. 


95 


what  wages  she  will  get  in  America,  etc.  And  then  the 
thought  of  parting  with  this  daughter  brings  tears  to  the 
eyes  of  both  these  women.  They  go  on  to  tell  of  the  loss  of 
a  daughter's  husband  at  sea,  in  a  way  that  makes  us  weep 
with  them.  There  is  a  boy  in  a  blacksmith's  shop  at  Wes- 
teras;  he  is  16.  And  the  two  younger  children  are  working 
for  neighbors,  raking  hay — all  at  work.  This  is  not  con- 
sidered a  home  of  poverty,  by  any  means.  For  poor  people 
we  will  have  to  look  elsewhere. 

We  go  into  the  next  house.  Two  aged  women  sit  here 
also.  The  members  of  our  parly  look  at  each  other  with 
an  inquiry  on  the  countenance  of  each,  "  This  is  the  allot- 
ment of  old  ladies  for  every  peasant's  home  ?  "  But  presently 
we  discover  that  this  is  a  poorhouse,  in  fact  and  name.  It 
is  not  a  county  or  parish  poorhouse;  but  it  is  a  house  set 
apart  by  the  estate  for  the  shelter  of  the  widows  of  those 
men  who  with  their  wives  have  worked  on  the  farm  for  a 
year  or  more,  and  thereby  '"  acquired  a  residence  "  and  a 
habitation.  The  proprietor  is  not  bound  to  provide  food, 
but  on  demand  he  must  give  shelter.  He  can  put  as  many 
poor  persons  who  have  acquired  such  claim  upon  him  in  this 
house  "as  can  be  provided  with  bed  room  in  it."  But  there 
must  be  "  no  unreasonable  crowding."  Sometimes  both  man 
and  wife  are  harbored  here,  when  stricken  with  age  and  in- 
firmities. Such  was  the  case  in  this  instance.  One  woman 
had  a  husband  lying  sick  up  stairs.  We  went  into  the  loft 
above,  by  a  flight  of  stairs  on  the  outside.  In  a  low  garret 
room,  without  a  fireplace  or  possibility  of  heating  except 
such  as  the  chimney  bricks  would  give,  lay  the  aged  laborer. 
He  reached  79  years  of  age  the  preceding  month.  It  is 
evident  that  he  has  not  many  days  to  live.  He  is  rheumatic; 
he  can  barely  move  on  his  bed.  "  How  long  has  he  worked 
on  this  farm  ?  "  we  inquired.  "  Twenty-eight  years."  His 
bed  consists  of  a  tick  filled  with  hay,  on  which  a  ragged 
comforter  is  spread.  A  thin  blanket,  which  is  patched  with 
pieces  of  cotton  and  calico — so  light  that  it  does  not  seem 
as  if  there  could  be  any  warmth  in  it,  and  so  dirty  that  it 
suggests  that  it  was  recently  taken  from  the  dusty  road 
— is  all  the  covering  he   has   except  his   shirt  and   pants 


96 


NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


— the  latter  made  of  a  coarse  Kentucky  jean  quality  of 
stuff. 

We  return  to  the  room  below  and  inquire  as  to  how 
these  three  are  provided  for.  It  is  mostly  a  matter  of 
free,  neighborly  contribution.  They  get  more  from  the  neigh- 
bors as  voluntary  contributions  than  from  the  management  of 
the  estate  of  the  district.  They  complain,  or  rather,  they 
state,  when  directly  asked  about  their  condition,  that  they 
are  not  as  well  off  as  the  widows  of  those  who  have  worked 
on  the  great  estate  at  the  castle.  There,  at  the  castle  estate, 
the  widows  have  a  regular  portion  of  wood  and  food  ;  enough 
to  comfortably  keep  body  and  sonl  together  at  least.  Here 
they  are  often  hungered,  and  feel  pinched  pains  for  the  want 
of  food  almost  every  week  in  the  year.  Both  earn  what  they 
can  with  knitting.  They  have  no  loom.  During  the  Summer 
months  one  carries  the  mail  a  little  distance  in  a  hand-wagon, 
and  gets  a  kroner  a  week  for  daily  walking  six  of  our  miles. 

Do  not  the  rich  people  in  the  neighborhood  visit  them  occa- 
sionally ? 

''  Never."  When  they  ride  by,  they  turn  their  heads  in  the  other 
direction.     Only  the  poor  come  in  to  see  them  and  help  them. 

Are  there  no  authorities  to  whom  they  could  make  a  success- 
ful application  for  further  assistance  ?  Could  they  not  go  to 
the  county  poorhouse  ? 

No  ;  they  are  fastened  on  this  estate.  If  they  had  suflficient 
means  to  buy  bread  they  would  be  "well  off."  They  get  ten 
ore  a  week  from  the  district.  This  is  their  story,  nearly  ver- 
batim. They  do  not  know  who  we  are,  but  they  answer  with- 
out reserve  and  with  no  expectation,  apparently,  that  their 
statement  will  bring  the  slightest  relief  from  us.  When  we 
give  them  a  kroner  piece  they  get  up  and  shake  our  hands 
violently  and  courtesy,  and  turn  around  and  courtesy  again  and 
again,  until  we  imagine  that  they  are  or  soon  will  be  very  dizz}'. 
They  wish  to  know,  "What  is  this  that  has  come  down  upon 
us  out  of  the  clouds  ?"  We  never  could  have  dreamed  that 
there  was  so  much  generosity  and  benevolence  incarnated  in  a 
quarter  of  a  dollar.  We  leave  them  in  the  midst  of  their 
ejaculations  of  thankfulness  and  amazement — in  some  amaze- 
ment ourselves. 


MONKTORP  TO  KOLBECK. 


97 


There  is  a  soldier's  home  a  quarter  of  an  EngUsh  mile  dis- 
tant. We  tell  the  driver  to  take  us  there.  Each  district  must 
provide  a  soldier  for  the  regular  army — that  is,  each  district 
must  furnish  him  with  a  house  and  a  patch  of  land  and  con- 
tribute so  much  to  the  support  of  his  family.  Each  district 
must  set  apart  for  him  two  tunland  or  two  acres  of  land  to 
grow  grain  upon;  and  pasture  land  for  one  cow  must  be  pro- 
vided. And  then  there  has  to  be  provision  made  generally  on 
an  adjacent  piece  of  property,  for  the  superanuated  or  pen- 
sioned soldier.  There  is  a  contest  being  made  in  the  Legis- 
lature or  Rixdag  on  this  very  point;  the  party  of  the  country 
insisting  that  this  tax  upon  the  people  in  the  country  shall  be 
removed.  This  fact  we  ascertained  in  Stockholm,  while  look- 
ing over  a  list  of  bills  at  the  State  House. 

On  our  way  from  the  hamlet  to  the  trooper's  cottage,  we 
notice  in  the  groves  we  pass  huge  ant-hills,  four  and  five  feet 
high — habitations  such  as  we  did  not  before  suppose  existed 
outside  of  Africa.  They  resemble  hay-cocks,  at  a  distance  ; 
and  on  close  inspection  appear  to  be  of  a  saw-dust  nature  in 
composition. 

We  soon  arrived  at  the  door  of  the  house  that  is  provided 
for  the  soldier  Avho  is  in  active  service.  It  is  comfortable 
within  and  without,  and  there  is,  up  to  the  bounds  of  comfort, 
evidently  no  lack.  The  wife  is  a  tidy,  and  even  a  handsome 
woman,  and  she  seems  to  consider  herself  in  fortunate  circum- 
stances. Her  husband  has  just  returned  from  the  camp  and  is 
at  work  in  the  meadow  close  by,  and  him  we  congratulate  on 
his  happy  and  well-furnished  home. 

We  pass  on  to  another  dwelling,  a  few  rods  distant,  in  which 
resides  the  discharged  predecessor  of  this  lucky  trooper.  This 
house  is  much  more  humble  in  appearance,  and  the  same  may 
be  said  of  all  the  surroundings.  With  the  wife  of  this  ex-sol- 
dier one  of  our  party  was  well  acquainted  some  years  ago,  and  she 
expects  to  have  a  hearty  greeting  with  her.  On  entering  the  one 
room  that  is  set  apart  for  family  use,  we  find  the  old  soldier  at 
work  patching  a  child's  shoe,  while  on  the  narrow  bed  that  stands 
against  the  wall,  alongside  of  the  fireplace,  is  his  wife.  Prostrate, 
paralyzed,  barely  able  to  articulate  distinctly  a  single  word. 
She  recognizes  our  companion;  although  they  had  not  met  for 


98 


NORTHEHy  EUROPE. 


eleven  years,  and  although,  as  we  learn,  she  often  was  not  able 
to  recognize  her  own  kindred.  The  spectacle  was  painful  in  the 
extreme. 

We  ask,  "  How  long  were  you  a  soldier  in  the  service  of 
Sweden?"  '' Twenty-five  years."  "Were  you  honorably 
discharged  ?"*  "  O  yes,"  he  replied.  "  What  is  your  pension  ?" 
"  This  liouse  and  an  acre  of  ground,  as  you  see  [it  was 
pasture  land,  as  it  seemed  to  us]  and  fifteen  kroner  a  year  in 
silver  "  A  soldier  of  twenty-five  years  service  pensioned  with 
$3-75>  ps^yable  at  the  expiration  of  each  twelve  months. 

He  was  asked:  "  Why  don't  you  send  your  wife  to  a  hospital 
where  she  can  be  taken  care  of  under  the  best  medical  skill  ?" 
He  answered,  "  I  sent  her  to  the  Westeras  Hospital,  and  kept 
her  there  as  long  as  I  had  money  to  spare  or  could  earn  for 
that  purpose,  over  and  abo^'e  what  was  necessary  for  my  child 
and  grandchild's  absolute  wants." 

One  of  our  party  said:  "  But  we  were  told  in  Stockholm  that 
the  great  hospitals  of  the  State — some  of  which  we  visited — 
Avere  alwavs  open  to  the  members  of  the  families  of  ex-soldiers." 
He  said  quietly:  'Tt  is  not  so;  when  my  money  was  exhausted 
they  sent  word  to  me  to  take  my  wife  home.  Of  course  I  could 
make  a  great  deal  more  if  I  was  able  to  go  out  and  work  as  a 
shoemaker  or  a  tailor.  I  tried  to  ha\e  them  keep  her  for  what 
I  could  earn  or  save,  over  and  above  what  was  necessary  for] 
my  own  support  and  the  support  of  the  two  children  that  are 
still  dependent  on  me.  But  they  would  not.  I  cannot  stir 
away  from  the  house  so  long  as  she  remains  here,  and  I  would 
not  think  of  doing  so." 

The  woman  was  entirely  helpless  and  her  husband  was  her 
only  nurse.  There  was  a  delicate  boy  of  13 — their  own  child 
born  when  his  mother  was  48  years  of  age,  and  there  was  a 
grandchild  that  had  been  left  on  their  hands  for  support. 

Our  companion,  who  had  expected  a  very  pleasant  meet- 
ing here,  and  who  was  proportionately  shocked  by  this  scene 
of  misery,  said  that  this  woman  was  once  the  most  active  per- 
son in  the  vicinity;  noted  for  her  industry  at  home  and  for  her 
speedy  dispatch  on  errands  of  mercy  and  charity,  whenever 
she  heard  of  any  one  in  distress  to  whose  relief  she  could  with 


1 


MONKTORP    TO  KOLBECK.  gg 

propriety  contribute.  Her  husband  gave  audible  expression 
to  his  surprise  at  her  recognition  of  her  friend. 

The  poor  invaUd  managed  to  stammer  out  in  broken  words 
and  long  detached  syllables:  "  I  felt  who  it  was.  The  angels 
from  heaven  have  brought  her  here  that  I  might  see  her  face 
once  more  before  I  died."  "  I  know  that  you  are  ready  to 
die,"  said  our  companion.  "Oh,  yes,"  she  said  with  a. 
smile;  "I  long  to  go  and  be  at  rest  with  my  Saviour.  It  is 
better  for  me — and  for  him,"  turning  her  eyes  with  a  look  of 
great  affection  toward  her  husband—"  and  for  our  little  ones, 
that  I  should  go  quickly.  Now  that  I  have  seen  you,  I  am  the 
more  willing  and  anxious  to  go.  I  have  been  thinking  for 
several  days  past  that  my  heavenly  Father  was  holding  me 
back  fqf  some  special  purpose.  I  think  now,  it  was  for  the 
pleasure  of  seeing  you  once  more  and  telling  you  that  I  always 
loved  your  mother  and  yourself  above  all  other  persons  except 
my  own  relatives." 

Afterward  when  we  spoke  about  this  dying  woman  in  the 
presence  of  a  lady  in  the  family  of  a  teacher  at  Kolbeck— not 
more  than  an  hour  after  we  left  the  soldier's  cottage  or  hut — 
she  remarked,  "  Yes,  there  is  a  deathbed  of  a  truly  Christian 
woman."  Whereupon  one  of  our  party  said:  "But  why  is 
this  Christian  woman  left  to  die  in  that  miserable  hovel,  when 
Sweden  has  so  many  public  hospitals  for  incurables  and  homes 
for  the  sick  of  almost  every  name  and  description  ? "  The 
reply  was:  "O,  each  district  must  take  care  of  its  own  peo- 
ple, and  each  parish  or  district  is  supposed  to  do  the  best  that 
can  be  done  under  the  circumstances."  This  was  not  said  in 
a  heartless  tone  of  voice;  but  I  am  sure  that  I  have  inter- 
preted what  was  said  correctly.  And  now  that  I  write  it  out 
for  this  letter,  the  speech  seems  to  me  more  cold  blooded  than 
I  regarded  it  when  I  heard  it  spoken.  It  was  a  reply  made  in 
a  matter-of-course -way,  and  as  a  perfectly  conclusive  and 
satisfactory  explanation  of  this  condition  of  affairs. 

I  made  further  inquiries,  and  found  that  this  veteran  sol- 
dier, John  Brunberg,  was  not  only  an  honorably  discharged 
cavalryman,  but  that  he  had  served  according  to  the  record, 
a  quarter  of  a  century  in  His  Majesty's  army  ;  and  furtlier- 
more,  that  he  was  a  worthy  man  in  every  sense  of  the  term : 


100  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

sober,  industrious  and  economical.  Such  was  the  testimony 
of  three  persons  with  whom  I  conversed  about  him  during  our 
visits  elsewhere,  at  three  different  places.  And  I  thought  of 
the  homes  I  knew,  in  which  once  dwelt  the  pensioners  of  our 
Revolutionary  war  and  the  war  of  1812;  bountifully  supplied 
by  our  Government.  And  one  of  our  party  broke  a  long  si- 
lence during  our  drive  from  the  school  house — (in  which  I 
am  sure  we  were  all  thinking  of  the  same  subject) — by  an 
exclamation  :  "Well,  thank  God  !  I  was  born  in  or  have  be- 
come a  citizen  of  the  Republic  of  the  United  States.  Our 
veteran  soldiers  who  have  been  anywise  disabled  in  service, 
and  their  wives  and  widows,  have  some  care  that  is  worthy 
of  the  name,  at  least."  And  twenty-five  consecutive  years  of 
service  in  the  prime  of  life  is  a  "disabling  term;"  of  itself. 
And  we  severally  proceeded  to  recount  particulars  of  our  visits 
to  English  hospitals  and  asylums  for  the  aged  or  disabled  sol- 
dier and  sailor  and  their  dependent  families.  And  we  felt  a 
much  stronger  interest  than  ever  before  in  our  own  Califor- 
nia Veterans'  Home. 

With  all  her  vaunted  public  institutions  of  benevolence, 
Sweden  is  behind  the  two  other  greatest  nations  of  the  earth, 
in  her  compensation  and  oversight,  with  respect  to  the  old  and 
worn-out  servants  who  have  spent  the  best  portion  of  their 
lives  in  her  armies;  and  yet  in  this  very  line  Stockholm  has 
examples  for  the  world  to  imitate.  She  is  at  the  same  time 
lacking  and  yet  in  the  van. 

Is  the  noted  and  deplored  deficiency  in  the  care  for  her  vet- 
erans due  more  to  thoughtlessness  than  any  thing  else  ?  We 
venture  to  say  to  his  Majesty  and  the  Riksdag:  "  Turn  your  at- 
tention of  inquiry  and  reform  in  this  direction." 


IN-  THE  KOLBECK  PARISH.  loi 


IX. 
IN  THE  KOLBECK  PARISH. 

There  is  the  rock,  the  stone,  the  ''  boulder"  we  would  call 
it,  to  be  seen  of  all  men  and  women,  however  incredulously 
disposed.  It  lies  near  the  East  bank  of  the  Kolbecksa-fed 
stream,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  North  of  this  place.  When 
Christianity  was  first  literally  planted  here,  by  the  erection  of  a 
church,  the  pagan  giants  who  inhabited  the  mountains  above 
Skansan  became  incensed  at  the  sound  of  the  holy  bells,  which 
the  Pope  had  blessed  and  sent  up  to  Kolbeck  to  be  mounted 
and  rung.  So  they  determined  that  they  would  demolish  the 
steeple  and  the  temple  at  one  fell  blow.  They  picked  up  one 
of  their  pebbles,  with  which  they  were  accustomed  to  play 
base-ball  during  the  Summer  twilight,  and  fastened  an  iron 
chain  to  it  by  a  bolt  pushed  through  a  hole  drilled  in  the  cen- 
tre. This  chain  was  originally  fifty  feet  long,  and  of  itself 
weighed  a  ton— nearly  as  heavy  as  the  granite  slung-shot  it- 
self. With  this  weapon  duly  prepared,  Gordeswandtorgamism, 
who  had  been  selected  by  lot  to  do  the  throwing,  whirled  the 
boulder  around  his  head  five  or  six  times,  while  the  priestess 
of  the  clan  uttered  a  prayer  and  an  imprecation  over  a  kettle 
full  of  boiling  pitch,  and  then  cast  it  straight  toward  the  hated 
building.  Not  for  lack  of  strength,  but  because  of  too  great 
caution  lest  he  overshoot  his  mark — which  he  had  never  missed 
before,  according  to  the  annals  written  and  preserved  bv  the 
chronicler  of  the  tribe  of  Skansantongorialying — he  failed  to 
hit  the  targ.'t;  coming  short  in  his  ten  mile  aim  a  trifle  of 
1,500  or  2,000  feet. 

The  rock  protrudes  a  little  above  the  water,  and  a  red  log 
has  been  laid  upon  it  to  warn  mariners  at  a  distance.  About 
a  score  of  links  of  the  chain  al  o  remain  to  aid  in  keeping  this 
one  ancient  item  of  history  out  of  the  domain  of  interdicted 
legend  and  superstition. 

It  was   part  of  tlie  indexible  law  of  the   Clan  of  Giants 


I02  NORTHERN'  EUROPE. 

spoken  of,  never  to  permit  a  second  attempt  to  do  that  which 
any  one  of  their  number,  after  due  preparation,  had  made  an 
imsuccessful  effort  to  accompUsh.  Hence  it  Avas  that  no  new 
shng  was  rigged,  and  hence,  doubtless,  it  was  that  the  tower, 
if  not  the  whole  church  at  Kolbeck,  was  spared,  and  that  the 
sacred  summons  peals  forth  on  every  appointed  service  day — • 
from  the  time  when  the  chime  was  first  hung  in  the  belfry  un- 
til this  very  hour. 

Very  few  foreign  born  people  will  believe  this  stor}-,  because 
it  is  true — a  complaint  against  chronic  and  inconsistent  incredu- 
lity reaching  back  to  the  days  of  Diogenes; — whereby  hangs 
a  point  of  punctuation.  But  every  patriotic  Swede  in  this 
region  is  said  to  have  implicit  confidence  in  the  chronicler. 

The  roads  in  this  district  are  excellent.  Within  every  500 
yards  of  distance  yo-u  will  notice  piles  of  gravel  by  the  side  of 
the  roadbed,  put  there  by  the  farmers,  as  leisure  permitted, 
for  use  in  filling  up  the  highway  at  broken  places  when  the 
rainy  st'ason  shall  ha\e  arri\-ed.  This  gravel  is  taken  from 
knolls,  the  removal  of  which  will  ultimately  provide  more  land 
for  cultivation  or  open  shorter  paths  for  travel.  There  are 
evidences  of  general  and  judicious  management  or  supervision 
in  all  such  matters  in  this  vicinity. 

The  crows  in  this  neighborhood  (and  I  am  told  that  it  is  the 
same  throughout  Sweden)  rarely  fly  in  flocks,  or  in  larger  com- 
panies than  four  at  the  most.  Usually  you  see  them — I  should 
rather  say  you  meet  them,  for  they  are  very  tame-^in  pairs. 
They  are  not  entirely  black,  as  with  us,  but  with  the  exception 
of  their  coal-dark  head  and  wings,  their  feathers  are  of  a  dun 
or  mulberry  color.  They  are  a  handsome  bird,  and  they  will 
strut  close  up  to  you  and  chatter  at  you  in  a  very  familiar 
manner. 

The  magpie  is  a  still  handsomer  fellow, — a  pretty  blue  and 
white;  and  I  have  seen  several  that  were  domesticated  like 
chickens.  Thev  have  a  decided  and  sometimes,  at  first,  rather 
alarming  liking  for  the  strangers  who  venture  to  walk  about 
their  premises. 

The  nightingale  is  here;  I  have  seen  him,  but  I  have  not 
heard  him,  as  I  hoped  and  expected  to,  in  conformity  with  tlie 
Spanish  picture.     Only  an  occasional  note  or  bar;  apparently 


IN  THE  KOLBECK  PARISH.  103 

as  an  echo  to  the  lark.  There  is  a  dispute  here  among  the 
peasantry  as  to  the  time  when  the  nightingale  will  sing  in  full 
strain  and  spirit.  Some  say  that  he  stops  with  the  cuckoo, 
just  before  or  after  midsummer;  while  others  declare  that 
they  have  heard  him  at  his  best  as  late  as  the  20th  of  August. 

But  the  lark  is  here  and  in  complete  voice  and  ambition. 
As  I  write  one  is  circling  above  me  pouring  out  a  flood  of 
melody  from  his  little  throat,  and  I  can  catch  the  more  dis- 
tant notes  of  his  brother,  who  is  concealed  somewhere  in  the 
low-hanging  clouds  that  curtain  the  sky  to  the  west. 

Sparrows  abound,  of  every  species;  and  one  kind  is  of  a 
partly  white  and  partly  slate-colored  body,  with  black  head 
and  black  tail  and  wing-tips,  that  suggest  a  great  grandchild 
relationship  to  the  Swedish  crow.  They  often  come  to  the 
windows  and  door-sills  when  it  is  raining,  and  eye  the  people 
within  and  chirp  at  them  with  a  sense  of  personal  security  from 
harm  and  with  a  degree  of  saucy  freedom  that  at  first  surprises 
and  always  delights  you.  Swallov/s  are  also  here,  innumerable 
and  impudent.  I  have  many  times  inquired  whether  there 
was  any  bird-shooting  in  this  district.  Many  of  the  little 
feathered  songsters  are  so  tame  that  it  seems  natural  to  suppose 
that  the  law  forbids  the  killing  of  them.  Not  so.  It  is  said 
that  the  officers  at  the  castle  frequently  take  their  fowling 
pieces  with  them  on  their  way  to  and  from  the  riding-house, 
and  on  a  slight  detour  they  bring  down  sparrows  enough  for  a 
mess. 

Great  quantities  of  fish  are  caught  in  the  Malaren;  but  I 
have  not  seen  a  single  specimen  in  this  neighborhood,  al- 
though I  have  been  most  of  the  time  during  the  past  ten  days 
close  to  some  inlet  from  the  lake.  But  1  have  talked  with 
fishermen,  who  say  that  they  annually  pay  a  thousand  of  our 
pounds  of  the  best  fish  for  the  privilege  of  drawing  nets 
along  a  mile  of  the  lake  shore.  A.  P.  Anderson  of  Dovon 
says  that  the  poor  hereabouts  cannot  afford  to  have  fresh  fish 
at  any  season  of  the  year,  except  they  are  in  the  business  of 
catching  or  unless  they  take  the  risk  of  "  borrowing.  "  The 
principal  fish  market  in  this  district  is  at  the  city  of  Westeras, 
and  to  that  place  and  Stockholm  go  large  shipments  from  this 
end  of  the  lake  every  day  in  the  year. 


104 


NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


One  ox  harnessed  to  a  low  cart  is  pulling  past  the  porch  in 
which  I  sit.  I  call  out  to  the  driver,  a  boy  of  about  fourteen 
years,  and  ask  him  what  he  has  for  sale.  He  is  going  to 
Stronisholm  with  a  load  of  vegetables.  He  has  one  small 
sack  of  new  potatoes,  and  three  large  sacks  of  rutabaga  tur- 
nips. He  expects  to  get  a  kroner  and  a  half  for  his  potatoes 
— a  kroner  for  two  gallons,  as  they  sell  potatoes  here — and 
six  kroners  for  his  turnips.  I  should  judge  that  they  would 
be  worth  nearly  that  sum  in  San  Francisco  to-day.  We  ask 
him  how  much  he  gets  a  day  for  his  services.  "Fifty  ore" — 
about  thirteen  cents.  And  he  works  how  long?  From  4  in 
the  morning  until  8  at  night. 

The  turnips  are  of  the  coarse  variety.  We  say  that  we 
suppose  they  are  cooked  by  boiling?  And  we  proceed  to  try 
to  inform  a  landlady  about  Colonel  Sellers.  ^Ve  assure  her 
that  it  is  quite  within  the  Swedish  vein — with  respect  to  which 
she  at  first  expresses  doubt — to  enjoy  the  humor  of  the  "Gild- 
ed Age,''  as  is  shown  from  the  fact  of  its  translation  into  the 
language  of  this  kingdom.  These  turnips  are  boiled;  but  they 
are  not  prepared  by  those  who  buy  them  for  "eat  wholesale" 
— such  is  the  phrase.  O,  no.  The  poor  could  not  afford 
that?  These  rutabagas  are  cooked  for  soup.  One  of  these, 
about  two  and  a  half  inches  in  diameter,  is  allotted  to  about 
three  quarts  of  water.  Colonel  Sellers'  essay  on  the  value  of 
the  turnip  as  a  sufificient  staple  for  family  diet  would  be  no-joke 
among  the  masses  of  womankind  and  mankind  in  this  section 
of  the  kingdom  of  Sweden. 

Of  the  many  tales  of  peasant  life  drawn  out  by  the  best  en- 
deavor that  we  could  make  for  such  a  purpose,  at  our  cot- 
tage visitations — obtained  sometimes  by  repeated  visits  and 
the  manifestation  of  such  kindly  interest  as  was  calculated  to 
remove  suspicion  of  a  merely  passing  or  any  sinister  or  mor- 
bid curiosity — I  will  take  the  case  of  Carl'  Erickson  for  a 
specimen  and  epitomizing  statement. 

Carl  and  family  live  in  one  of  the  houses  of  a  great  estate, 
whose  borders  lie  in  Kolbeck  and  in  at  least  two  other  ad- 
joining parishes.  The  cottage  is  about  28  feet  long  by  14  feet 
wide.  It  is  of  one  story  and  divided  into  two  rooms.  The 
room  occupied  by  the  family  is  about  15  by  14  feet.     Out  of 


ly  THE  KOLBECK  PARISH.  105 

this  space  comes  the  chimney  and  the  blacksmith-forge-like 
fireplace  which  is  at  least  four  feet  square.  In  the  alcove  or 
recess — partially  partitioned  off— occupying  a  space  of  about 
6  by  4  feet,  is  a  loom.  There  is  one  bed,  2  1-2  wide  by  6  feet 
long  ;  one  wooden  settee  or  bench,  on  which  another  bed  can 
be  laid;  one  table,  4  by  2  feet;  and  one  chest  of  three  drawers, 
occupying  i  1-2  by  4  feet.  There  are  two  wooden-bottom 
chairs,  and  two  or  three  stools  and  a  cradle.  The  other  por- 
tion of  the  house  has  a  separate  entrance,  and  is  used  as  a 
storeroom,  a  pantry  for  milk,  etc.  There  are  two  under- 
ground cellars,  about  two  rods  distant  from  the  house,  in  which 
potatoes  and  other  vegetables  may  be  kept  during  Winter, 
safe  from  the  frost ;  and  one  rod  beyond  these  is  a  barn,  ca- 
pable of  holding  a  cow  and  calf  and  a  pig  and  a  dozen  or 
score  of  chickens,  and  hay  enough  to  feed  the  animals  du- 
ring the  severest  portion  of  the  snowy  season.  On  about  a 
quarter-acr3  of  the  land  allowed  this  man — for  that  is  all  he 
can  possibly  utilize  out  of  the  ground  in  his  reservation — he 
has  planted  potatoes,  as  he  always  has  done  since  he  became 
a  householder  here.  He  has  the  privilege  of  gathering  wood 
for  fuel  from  the  groves  and  forests  of  the  estate — no  more 
than  is  necessary  ;  and  he  is  required  to  be  as  economical  as 
he  can  be  in  its  use.  He  must  obtain  his  supply  of  firewood 
at  times  when  his  services  are  not  required  on  the  estate- 
work  ;  which  means  practically  that  he  must  do  this  out  of 
regular  working  hours.  He  has  pasturage  for  a  cow,  and  he 
may  glean  hay  enough — or  his  wife  may — to  keep  the  cow 
during  the  Winter.  A  half  barrel  of  the  poorest  quality  of 
mackerel  is  also  a  jiart  of  his  "privilege." 

Now,  I  think  you  will  be  apt  to  say  that  Carl  has  probably 
a  good  average  opportunity,  for  this  section,  to  support  his 
family  and  enjoy  life.  That  is  my  judgement,  at  all  events; 
and  I  am  here  on  the  spot  to  see  and  to  compare.  You  only 
need  to  know  his  money-wages  and  the  number  of  his  house- 
hold, in  addition  to  what  I  have  already  stated,  in  order  to 
have  a  full  basis  for  reading  the  subjoined  conversations. 

Carl  is  a  man  of  43  years,  with  a  wife  and  four  children. 
The  eldest  child  is  16,  the  next  is  14;  having  lost  three 
bairns  by  death,  his  youngest  are  aged   respectively  5  years 


io6  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

and  2  years.  This  sober,  industrious  man  has  resided  on 
his  estate  since  boyhood;  and  here  he  has  married  and 
struggled  to  support  his  family  as  best  he  could.  He  re- 
ceives 115  kroners  a  year  for  his  labor;  that  is  about  ^30. 
He  has  his  house  barn,  cellar,  a  quarter-of-an-acre  potato 
patch,  the  privilege  of  gathering  fuel  and  gleaning  hay  suffi- 
cient for  his  necessities,  a  quarter  barrel  of  brine-preserved 
fish,  and  115  foroners  a  year  in  money. 

Carl  makes  no  complaint;  he  answered  our  questions  in  a 
way  that  indicated  no  grinding  sense  of  poverty  or  want. 
He  rises  at  four  in  the  summer  and  works  until  8  o'clock  at 
night,  with  half  an  hour  for  breakfast  and  an  hour  for  dinner. 
His  breakfast,  as  well  as  his  dinner,  is  sent  to  him  at  the 
stables  or  on  the  field.  In  the  Winter  he  must  put  in  twelve 
hours  work  per  day;  and  he  may  be,  and  often  is,  required 
to  do  extra  work,  over  and  above  this  recorded  time  for  la- 
bor, on  the  call  of  his  foreman. 

Carl's  wife,  a  little  woman  of  about  her  husband's  age,  who 
looks  as  if  she  was  worn  to  the  bone  with  hard  work  and 
suffering,  can  and  does  make  the  real  revelation.  "  Clara  " 
is  her  name.  These  people  know  and  call  each  other  by 
their  Christian  names,  throughout  the  parish.  We  opened 
the  conversation  at  the  second  or  third  interview. 

"  You  have  a  good  husband,  Clara  ?" 

She    replied:    "As    good  as  ever  a  woman  was  blessed 
with." 

"  I  suppose  you  have  always  considered  yourself  in  as 
comfortable  circumstances  as  a  majority  of  families  on  the 
estate  ?" 

She  replies:  "  As  well  off  as  many;  as  well  off,  probably, 
as  the  most  of  the  families  that  have  an  equal  number  of 
children." 

"  Do  you  and  your  children  have  plenty  to  eat  ?" 

"  Oh,  we  are  very  thankful  for  what  we  have." 

This  evasive  answer  to  this  question  was  repeated  several 
times,  as  we  came  to  put  it  in  different  forms  during  the 
successive  visits.  It  was  at  first  the  conclusion  of  the  con- 
versation on  this  subject. 

Omitting  much   necessary  preparatory   and   oft-repeated 


IN'  THE  KOLBECK  PARISH.  107 

questions  and  answers,  which  were  leading  to  a  better  ac- 
quaintance, and  to  a  confidence  sufficient  for  a  free  and  full 
statement  and  confession,  we  come  .to  the  detailed  facts 
of  suffering. 

*'  Have  you  ever  known  what  it  was  to  actually  feel  pain 
from  hunger?" 

She  answered:  "Oh,  yes;  many  times." 

"  Have  your  children  ever  cried  for  bread  which  they 
really  needed  ?" 

"  Oh,  yes;  many  times.  But  I  have  done  the  best  I  could 
to  apportion  out  what  we  had  to  give  them  and  keep  abso- 
lute starvation  from  the  house." 

"  This  is  the  season  of  the  year  when  you  are  best  sup- 
plied ? 

"Yes." 

"  Haven't  you  an  abundance  to  eat  just  now?" 

"  I  myself  always  portion  out  the  food  with  care." 

"  You  don't  answer  the  question,  Clara;  you  reply  eva- 
sively. I  am  not  making  these  inquiries  of  you  for  an  un- 
worthy motive.  I  ara  not  going  to  inform  the  superintendent 
of  the  estate  of  what  you  tell  me,  and  at  the  same  time  I  do 
not  wish  you  to  say  anything  to  which  he  could  justly  take 
any  exception.  I  do  not  wish  to  torture  you;  though  my 
pressing  these  questions  may  seem  to  indicate  something 
like  that.  I  am  seeking  to  know  the  actual  condition  of  this 
peasantry  class,  of  which  you  yourself  think  that  your  family 
is  a  fair  sample." 

She  answered  again:  ''Well,  I  will  tell  you  that  I  have  to 
apportion  our  meals  carefully.  The  father  has  to  be  pro- 
vided for  first,  as  he  must  work,  and  his  strength  must  not 
fail.  I  have  to  see  to  that.  If  it  was  left  to  him,  or  if  he 
understood  the  matter  altogether,  he  would  not  take  what 
was  necessary  that  he  should  have  to  keep  him  \\\>.  Little 
enough  he  gets  at  the  best:  but  he  must  be  served  first. 
Then  the  youngest  children  come  next;  then  the  two  oldest. 
Then,  if  there  is  anything  left,  it  is  my  portion." 

"  But  if  there  is  nothing  left,  Clara  t "  we  say  to  her. 

The  woman  burst  into  tears,  and  throwing  her  apron  over 
her  head  cried  out,  "  O,  God  be  praised  !     I  have  had  the 


1 08  ^Oli  THERN  E  UR  OPE. 

Strength  to  go  without  anything,  and  not  let  my  husband  or 
children  see  me  weep.  At  many  such  times  He  has  often, 
in  answer  to  my  prayers,  given  me  such  support  that  I  have 
not  felt  dizzy,  as  I  confess  I  sometimes  have  done  after  hav- 
ing gone  twenty-four  hours  without  a  morsel  of  food." 

"But,"  we  persist,  "have  you  got  plenty  now — right  at 
this  present  time  ?  To  be  candid  with  you,  Clara,  you  look 
as  though  you  had  not  had  enough  to  eat  this  season.  We 
may  not  judge  you  correctly  about  that ;  but  we  have 
thought  so." 

She  answered,  "Well,  if  you  have  to  portion  out  a  cow's 
milk  for  three  meals  and  six  persons,  when  it  is  not  really 
more  than  enough  for  half  that  number  of  persons  for  two 
meals,  you  must  stint,  of  course." 

"I  understand;  you  are  on  short  allowance  all  the  while;  you 
have  not  had  what  you  reasonably  require  for  food  to-day." 

She  said  again,   "  We  are  all  very  thankful  for  what   we 
have  had." 

"  Clara,  I  feel  almost  ashamed  to  urge  you  to  tell  me  anything 
more,  or  to  speak  with  greater  explicitness  about  your  way  of 
living;  but  it  is  very  generally  supposed  in  the  nation  where 
I  come  from,  that  since  there  has  been  so  great  an  emigration 
from  Sweden  to  America  as  has  taken  place  during  the  past 
few  years,  there  is  no  actual  want  among  your  laboring  peo- 
ple; except  such  as  is  brought  about  by  dissipation  or  waste- 
ful improvidence.  Now  I  want  to  know  if  that  is  really  so 
or  not.  I  see  these  broad  acres  which  should  yield  an  abund- 
ant supply  of  food  for  all  the  people  living  here,  and  I  would 
naturally  think  that  the  report  to  which  I  have  just  referred 
was  true, — unless  I  had  positive  testimony  to  the  contrary. 
And,  besides,  as  you  are  a  very  intelligent  woman,  I  wish  to 
mention  to  you  the  fact  that  some  professional  book  writers 
who  have  visited  this  country  during  the  last  ten  years  have 
rejjresented  in  their  books,  which  have  had  large  circulation 
in  the  United  States  and  in  England,  that  there  was  no  lack 
of  food  in  any  sober,  hard-working  man's  house  in  Sweden. 
And  this  district  has  been  spoken  of  in  this  very  connection; 
and;  if  lam  not  very  much  mistaken,  this  very  estate  has  been 
mentioned  as  the  place  of  residence  of  a  peasantry  that  were 


ly  THE  KOLBECK  PARISH.  109 

happy  and  contented,  because,  among  other  reasons,  tney  had 
good  wages  and  an  abundance  of  good  food." 

"  I  have  been  happy  in  the  love  of  my  husband  and  child- 
ren," replied  Clara,  "  and  I  hope  I  have  been,  or  will  be,  for- 
given if  I  have  unjustly  murmured  at  any  time;  but  now  that 
I  understand  your  motives  and  object  better,  I  am  free  to  say 
that  those  persons  who  had  written  as  you  tell  me  have  not 
told  the  truth.  They  probably  did  not  mean  to  tell  false- 
hoods, but  they  certainly  did  not  tell  the  truth." 

"  Now  you  see,  Clara,  the  necessity  or  propriety  of  my  ask- 
ing you  the  questions  which  I  have  repeated  so  many  times. 
If  the  truth  is  not  worth  knowing  at  all  with  respect  to  this 
matter,  it  can  be  only,  or  best,  obtained  and  spread  abroad  in 
the  way  I  purpose  following.  I  myself  have  believed  these 
rose-colored  sketches  of  modern  Swedish  life  among  the  work- 
ing classes  until  I  came  among  them.  I  thought  that  most  of 
the  misery  of  this  kind  of  which  we  have  been  speaking,  that  ex- 
isted in  Europe,  was  to  be  found  in  Ireland  at  the  present  time, 
and  I  expected  to  write  about  such  matters  from  there  alone." 

"  I  cannot  say  that  we  have  been  on  the  vergeof  starvation," 
said  Clara;  "but  I  have  many,  many  ti-mes  thought  that  we 
would  be  soon.  Last  Winter  was  the  hardest  season  I  have 
ever  known.  I  thought  that  the  emigration  would  be  a  benefit 
to  our  people  who  remained  here,  as  I  have  heard  it  said  that 
it  would  be.  But  the  wages  of  my  husband  have  not  been 
raised,  and  prices  have  not  come  down  for  articles  that  we  must 
buy  at  the  store.  Last  Winter  we  had  a  present  of  some 
American  potatoes  from  a  friend — a  few  gallons.  And  just 
before  our  supply  was  exhausted  I  went  into  the  cellar  and 
counted  those  that  had  been  given  to  us  by  our  friend  for  seed. 
He  didn't  know  that  we  needed  any  potatoes  for  any  other 
purpose.  Then  I  kneeled  down  and  prayed  to  God  that  we 
should  have  strength  to  resist  the  temptation  to  eat  these  po- 
tatoes. But  it  came  so  hard  upon  us  that  we  had  to  eat  them; 
little  by  little  they  had  to  go  !  And  I  often  wondered  during 
the  Winter  if  I  should  ever  know  the  time  when  I  could  eat  all 
the  potatoes  I  wanted.     Wasn't  that  a  ridiculous  idea?" 

This  is  precisely  what  Clara  said.  We  asked:  "What  did 
you  have  for  breakfast  this  morning  ?" 


no  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

'  For  breakfast  we  have  had  a  little  barley  meal,  boiled  so 
as  to  make  porridge,  and  the  youngest  children  have  had  a 
little  milk  with  their  portion." 

"  What  did  your  husband  have?" 

*'  I  sent  his  breakfast  to  him." 

"  What  did  he  have  this  morning?" 

"I  sent  him  some  of  the  porridge  and  two  pancakes." 

"  Clara,  did  you  have  anything  at  all  to  eat  for  breakfast 
this  morning  ?" 

She  hesitated,  but  we  were  relentless,  and  the  question  vv'as 
repeated.  "Did  you  yourself  have  anything  to  eat  this  morn- 
ing, Clara  ?" 

"I  did  not,"  she  replied. 

"  Do  your  children  or  does  your  husband  know  that  you  had 
nothing  to  eat  this  morning,  for  breakfast  ?" 

"They  do  not." 

"What  did  you  have  for  dinner?" 

"  My  husband  had  a  loaf  of  bread  [a  loaf  of  Swedish  bread 
weighs  about  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  an  English  pound]  and  a 
small  piece  of  mackerel  and  a  little  mush." 

"  What  did  the  children  have  ?" 

"They  had  half  a  loaf  of  bread,  a  little  mackerel  and  a 
bowl  of  mush  and  milk." 

Clara's  bowls  hold  about  half  a  pint. 

"  V\liat  did  you  have?" 

"  I  am  going  to  eat  my  dinner  presently." 

We  said:  "It  is  now  2  o'clock  in  this  day,  on  the  14th  of 
July,  in  the  midst  of  the  harvest  season,  when  food  is  supposed 
to  be  cheapest  and  in  greatest  variety,  and  most  accessible,  and 
you  ha\"e  not  broken  your  fast  yet  ?" 

She  replied:  "  I  am  going  to  eat  a  half  loaf  of  bread  soaked 
in  some  juice  from  the  mackerel." 

The  mackerel  had  been  boiled,  and  she  was  going  to  dip 
her  bread  in  the  water  in  which  it  had  been  prepared  for  the 
father  and  the  children. 

"Clara,  from  what  you  know  of  this  neighborhood,  do  you 
mean  to  say  that  the  majority  of  the  working  people  in  this 
district  are  as  poorly  provided  with  the  necessaries  of  life-  as 
you  are  and  have  been  of  late?" 


IN  THE  KOLBECK  PARISH.  m 

She  replied:  "I  think  we  are  better  off  than  some,  which 
should  make  us  thankful  for  what  we  have.  Of  course  I  don't 
know  how  all  my  neighbors  live,  but  I  believe  that  the  ma- 
jority of  them  are  not  any  better  off  than  we  are  or  have  been 
during  the  past  ten  years.     Maybe  I  am  wrong,  though." 

"  Could  you  give  me  the  name  of  any  neighbor  that  you 
know  positively  is  or  has  been  within  the  last  few  years  as 
poorly  provided  with  food  as  you  have  been — who  has  suf- 
fered as  much  ?" 

The  reply  was:  "I  am  satisfied  that  there  are  many  such,  but 
of  course  I  don't  absolutely  know  from  personal  observation." 

"  But  from  what  any  member  of  a  household  has  told  you  ?" 

She  said :  "  From  that  and  from  other  sources  of  information." 

We  asked:   "  Name  another  such  a  sufferer." 

She  replied:  "I  will  not  do  it." 

"Why  not?" 

She  said:  "  Go  and  ask  them,  as  you  have  asked  me.  Maybe 
they  will  tell  you.  O,  I  could  name  them;  but  don't  ask  me 
to  do  that." 

^Ve  said  we  did  not  intend  to  use  her  name  if  we  made  fur- 
ther inquiries,  and  we  appreciated  her  sensitiveness  in  declin- 
ing to  point  out  as  requested;  but  we  would  like  to  get  two  or 
three  more  witnesses,  and  as  our  time  for  examination  was 
limited  we  thought  she  might  aid  us  in  finding  additional 
evidence  at  once. 

"Well,"  she  replied,  "not  now;  at  some  other  time, — per- 
haps." 

We  asked,  "  When  did  you  have  fresh  meat  last  ?" 

"  We  have  not  had  a  mouthful  of  fresh  meat  since  last 
Fall." 

Here  Clara's  husband  came  up  and  confirmed  this  last  state- 
ment. For  eight  months  not  one  of  the  household  had  tasted 
fresh  meat. 

"  Our  cow  was  dry  for  sixteen  weeks  this  year,"  said  Clara, 
"  which  has  contributed  to  make  it  very  hard  for  us  to  get 
along.  We  had  a  cow  two  years  ago  that  was  not  dry  more 
than  two  or  three  weeks  at  a  time.  But  she  would  not  allow 
any  one  to  come  near  her  or  to  remain  in  the  Ijt  where  she 
was,  except  myself,  so  we  had  to  sell  her." 


112  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

"  How  did  you  manage  about  seed  potatoes  when  your 
stock  was  eaten  up,  this  last  Spring  ?" 

"  It  was  February  when  the  last  of  the  American  potatoes 
were  eaten  up.  Carl  borrowed  some  money,  which  we  owe 
yet,  to  pay  for  the  poorest  kind  of  potatoes,  which  we  used  for 
planting  this  season.  We  would  have  had  a  great  deal  better 
crop,  I  suppose,  if  we  could  have  saved  the  American  potatoes 
for  seed." 

We  asked,  "  Have  many  persons  gone  to  America  from 
this  section  ?" 

"A  dozen  or  more.  All  that  could  get  away,  I  think,"  said 
Clara,  with  a  laugh  that  was  almost  cheerful.  And  then  came 
a  quickly  following,  irrepressible  sigh. 

"Would  you  like  to  go  to  America  ?"  we  asked. 

"  Oh,  yes;  but  we  can  never  get  enough  money  together  to 
do  that." 

"  But  your  husband  might  go  and  in  a  few  years  bring  you 
out  after  him." 

Clara  gave  a  quick  look  at  her  husband  as  I  spoke,  and  her 
face  became  very  white  and  thin: — it  was  pale  and  pinched 
enough  ordinarily,  heaven  knows. 

"  Don't  be  alarmed,  Clara  !  I  am  not  going  to  take  your 
husband  away  from  you.  But  I  have  just  learned  that  an 
emigration  agency  has  been  established  at  Gothenburg,  and  I 
will  leave  you  the  card  from  that  agency  that  has  been  sent  to 
me.  Perhaps  you  may  manage  at  some  time  in  the  future  to 
raise  money  enough  to  pay  your  husband's  passage,  not  only  to 
America,  but  to  the  best  part  of  America — the  United  States." 

"There  is  nothing  about  farm  work  or  horses  that  Carl  does 
not  thoroughly  understand,"  said  the  devoted  wife;  and  a 
gleam  of  pride  mingled  with  her  other  indications  of  coun- 
tenance as  she  looked  steadily  at  her  husband. 

"Your  children  are  at  work.     I  forgot  to  ask  about  that  ?" 

"  Yes;  the  boy  earns  forty  ore  a  day  for  driving."  That  is 
about  ten  cents. 

"And  the  girl?" 

"  Sometimes  she  earns  the  same,  by  raking  hay,  during  the 
Summer  season.  She  has  just  been  confirmed,  and  will  prob- 
ably go  out  to  regular  service  next  year." 


» 


THE  VABDSHUS  FAMILY  AND  NEIGHBORS.    1 13 


X. 


THE    STROMSHOLM    VARDSHUS    FAMILY    AND 

NEIGHBORS. 

Every  window  of  every  sitting-room  and  bedroom  in  every 
house  in  this  country,  so  far  as  we  have  been  able  to  note, 
is  filled  with  flowers.  From  the  highest  to  the  lowest,  from 
the  oldest  to  the  youngest,  there  seems  to  be  a  passionate 
admiration  and  love  for  the  blossoming  plants.  Looking 
right  across  the  inn  yard — from  the  Stromsholm  Vardshus — 
to  the  front  of  Froken  Stackelberg's  rooms,  I  can  count 
three  pots  in  one  window,  four  in  another  and  six  in  anoth- 
er. The  Froken  has  three  different  varieties  of  geranium. 
She  has  verbenas  in  two  of  the  windows,  and  an  oleander  that 
bears  beautiful  pink  flowers  very  much  like  a  rose  in  texture 
and  perfume.  A  heliotrope  is  near  the  doorway,  and  its 
delicate  aroma  is  so  penetrating  that  I  became  conscious  of 
our  proximity  to  it  before  we  had  passed  through  the  hall 
that  leads  to  her  parlor.  It  scented  the  whole  building,  as 
you  may  say.  Madame  Hoglin,  widow  of  the  late  Postmas- 
ter at  Stromsholm,  who  resides  on  the  north  border  of  the 
Castle  park,  has  a  St.  Joseph's  lily  that  would  be  a  prize  for 
any  of  our  California  conservatories.  She  has  also  a  bleed- 
ing geranium  that  has  exquisitely  tender  veins  and  hue. 
These  adornments  from  and  of  nature's  choicest  ornamental 
plants  you  might  expect  in  the  homes  of  the  noble  or  the 
rich,  but  they  are  everywhere  in  Sweden.  I  only  instance 
these  two  places  because  one  is  before  me  and  the  other 
has  been  recently  visited  by  us. 

Why,  yes:  it  should  have  been  mentioned  that  Carl  Erick- 
son's  poverty-stricken  cottage  gives  no  evidence  of  distress 
through  a  lack  of  the  usual  possession  and  display  of  flowers 
of  exceeding  beauty.     And  from  the  sailor  in  the  forehatch 


114  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

of  the  canal-boat  on  the  Gotha  to  the  Barons  waiting  in  the 
outer  chamber  of  Oscar  II.,  there  is  the  nosegay  Or  the  rose 
in  the  botton-hole  or  hat-band  :  testifying  to  the  universality 
of  this  taste  and  affection  for  the  garland  or  blossom — in 
man  as  well  as  woman — the  former  exhibiting  this  interest 
and  pleasure  without  strut  or  pretense,  and  the  latter  enjoy- 
ing the  sight  of  their  plants  with  a  simple  but  unmistakable 
enthusiasm  of  delight.  So,  indeed,  it  should  be  in  the  land 
of  Linnseus. 

This  section  of  country,  from  the  mouth  of  the  Stroms- 
holm  Canal  to  the  paper  mills,  a  distance  of  seven  or  eight 
miles,  strikingly  resembles  Sonoma  Valley  in  many  particu- 
lars. Here  there  is  greater  breadth  at  one  place  ;  but  save 
in  respect  to  this  swelling  out  to  a  circle  midway  between 
the  Malaren  and  the  line  of  Kolbeck,  and  in  spite  of  that, 
the  likeness  is  so  remarkable  that  I  cannot  forbear  alluding 
to  it;  and  I  tell  these  good  people  of  it ; — adding  the  state- 
ment that  our  Sonoma  meadows  are  never  covered  with 
snow  and  are  green  a  larger  portion  of  the  year.  "  Ja  sa  !!" 
Precisely. 

Froken  Stackelberg  is  especially  interested  in  such  com- 
parisons and  in  any  enlightening  information  in  regard  to 
the  "glorious  climate,"  remarkable  fruit  crop,  fast  horses  and 
high  railroad  fares  that  characterize  the  Golden  State.  It 
is  strange  that  she  should  manifest  such  a  strong  concern 
about  all  our  affairs  ;  a  curiosity  that  cannot  be  feigned, 
because  it  is  searching  on  lines  that  show  her  thoughtful 
consideration  in  the  premises.  An  omniverous  reader,  a 
systematic  and  acute  examiner  is  Froken  Stackelberg.  And 
she  is  more  worthy  of  description  than  any  landscape  on  the 
face  of  the  earth.  She  is  a  curiosity  and  a  marvel  in  herself. 
Here  is  the  daughter  of  a  Finnish  nobleman,  79  years  of 
age,  living  in  one  small  suite  of  rooms  at  one  end  of  a  royal 
tenantry  building  belonging  to  the  castle  property,  having 
charge  of  the  porcelain,  linen  and  silver  of  a  royal  resi- 
dence— what  is  left  here  of  such  articles — and  radiating  an 
influence  that  is  most  precious  for  the  community  and  king- 
dom.    "Noble"  she  certainly  is,  by   birthright,  as  the  titles 


THE  VARBSEUS  FAMILY  AND  NEIGUBORS.    1 15 

ran  in  this  country  75  years  ago.  She  can  trace  them  with 
great  genealogical  precision.  Her  mother  was  of  noble  de- 
scent, still  further  ennobled  by  her  first  and  second  mar- 
riages. Once  she  owned  2000  acres  of  land  of  the  finest 
quality — nobility  of  soil  proprietorship,  if  you  please  ! — 
with  a  mansion  that  approached  the  size  and  dignity  of  a 
chateau.  Her  family  lands  and  houses,  and  a  high-walled 
and  iron-gate-guarded  grave,  we  have  seen  and  can  give  evi- 
dence upon;  all  being  of  ancient  estate  which  was  in  Froken 
Stackclberg's  mother's  possession  in  1799.  Bad  management, 
not  to  speak  of  dissipation  on  the  part  other  father,  resulted 
ultimately  in  financial  ruin  to  his  widow  and  child; — pov- 
erty coming  upon  them  shortly  after  his  death  in  the  service 
of  the  Swedish  navy.  Noble  she  is:  with  the  portraits  of 
three  field  marshals  hanging  behind  her,  as  she  sits  on  the 
sofa  from  which,  as  from  a  throne,  she  bids  you  welcome  in 
the  Swedish,  French  or  Italian  dialect. 

But  "noble"  Froken  Stackelburg  certainly  is,  in  an  "Amer- 
ican sense,  "  as  she  was  kind  enough  to  phrase  it  in  our 
presence  a  few  hours  ago.  For  with  the  little  patrimony 
left,  and  out  of  the  small  stipend  that  is  granted  her  by  the 
Government,  she  does  a  vast  amount  of  judicious  charitable 
work;  and  for  that,  and  for  her  valuable  counsel  and  ad- 
vice to  all  worthy,  inquiring  friends,  she  is  renowned;  she  is 
beloved  wherever  there  is  personal  knowledge  of  her  daily 
deeds  of  charity  and  her  sentiments  with  respect  to  the  true 
standard  of  royal  humanity. 

"If  there  ever  was  a  noble  lady  by  right  of  blood,"  said 
Froken  Stackelberg  to  us,  as  we  sat  beside  her  bountiful 
board,  "my  mother  was  of  high  degree  :  but  in  her  day  of 
prosperity  and  pride,  as  well  as  when  she  came  to  experi- 
ence the  reverses  of  fortune,  she  always  instructed  me  in 
the  truth  that  there  was  only  rank  in  the  names  of  earthly 
nobles,  and  that  all  that  ended  with  the  grave;  only  in- 
trinsic merit  of  character  will  amount  to  anything  in  our 
favor  beyond  that.  This  will  doubtless  seem  to  you  an  un- 
necessary concession,"  she  continued,  "if  not  a  plain,  simple 
Statement  of  fact,  and  that  only,  Monsieur;  and  perhaps  I 


ii6  MOMTHERN  EUROPE. 


had  forgotten  that  I  was  addresshig  an  American.  But  in 
Sweden,  where  there  has  been  so  much  abject  homage  to  a 
titled  class  whose  representatives  have  not  always  been  de- 
serving of  any  man's  respect,  the  instruction  to  me  was  valu- 
able and  was  needed.  Of  course,  I  have  long  ago  found  out 
its  truth  in  my  own  observation,  and  from  ihe  teachings  of 
God  and  my  own  conscience.  But  I  think  it  well,  some- 
times, that  such  declarations  should  be  made  by  one  of  my 
inheritance." 

And  Froken  Stackelberg  was  charmed  with  the  verse 
which  reads  and  rings  : 

"  Howe  er  it  be,  it  seems  to  me 
'Tis  only  noble  to  be  good  ; 
True  hearts  are  more  than  coronets, 
And  simple  faith  than  Norman  blood." 

If  you  get  an  invitation  do  not  fail  to  go  and  take  tea 
with  Froken  Stackelberg,  when  you  come  to  Stromsholm. 
As  the  Froken  proclaims  herself  "partial  to,  and  delighted 
with,  people  who  speak  English" — to  use  her  own  oft- 
repeated  phrase — and  as  I  make  due  report  of  her  announce- 
ment, it  is  to  be  expected  that  at  least  those  Californians 
who  shall  hereafter  travel  this  way  and  stop  at  the  Stroms- 
holm Vardshus  will  avail  themselves  of  the  advantages  and 
pleasures  of  such  a  call. 

The  Statcarter  or  Dagman  tenement  houses  and  the  large 
dwelling  in  which  the  gardeners  and  watchmen  and  house- 
keepers of  the  castle  or  chateau  reside — a  community  of 
residents  often  seen — and  the  inns  in  this  part  of  Sweden, 
very  closely  resemble  each  other,  and  may  be  described,  so 
far  as  their  exterior  is  concerned  at  least,  by  the  same  sen- 
tences. It  is  a  two-story  building  with  eight  feet  height  for 
the  ground-floor  story  and  six  feet  for  the  upper  story.  The 
roof  sweeps  down  from  the  apex,  which  is  twenty-five 
or  thirty  feet  high,  with  such  a  bow-fashion  curve,  and  turns 
up  at  the  eaves  with  such  a  graceful  line,  that  a  little  one  in 
our  party  described  it  appropriately  as  making  a  flourish  like 
the  shaded  part  of  a  copy-book  "S."  The  length  of  the  build- 
ing is  usually  about  200  or  250  feet,  and  the  width  about 


THE  VABDSnUS  FAMILY  AND  NEIGHBORS,    n? 

twenty-five  feet.  There  will  be  separate  entrances  for  each 
fifty  feet,  and  from  the  halls  that  dip  half  way  into  the  struc- 
ture, doors  will  lead  on  either  side,  close  to  the  front  wall,  to 
a  stairway  landing  and — as  in  the  case  of  inns  and  the 
houses  of  the  well-to-do — past  that  to  the  (first)  sitting  or 
dining-room,  and  then  (second)  to  the  parlor.  At  the  end 
of  the  hall  will  be  the  kitchen  of  the  inn  or  of  the  tenant 
best  able  to  have  a  large  cooking  apartment.  In  such  case 
the  kitchen  extends  the  width  of  the  hall  and  runs  to  one 
side  as  far  as  the  width  of  the  stairway  landing,  or  perhaps 
the  sitting-room  space.  In  other  cases  the  kitchen  occupies 
only  the  part  in  the  rear  of  the  dining  or  sitting-room  and 
the  stairway  landing.  Where  there  is  a  second  story  the 
stairs  invariably  wind  around  half  a  circle  so  that  you  come 
at  your  entrance  hall  at  the  stair-landing,  (on  the  first  or 
second,)  directly  before  a  window  looking  into  the  yard  in 
front  of  the  house.  In  the  inns  there  are  precisely  the  same 
partitions  above  as  below;  but  in  the  tenantry's  houses  there 
is,  of  course,  more  sub-division  ;  usually  obtained  by  run- 
ning a  narrow  passageway  through  the  centre  of  the  build- 
ing. Rooms  are  sometimes,  but  rarely,  partitioned  off  in 
the  attic.  There  the  servants  sleep  in  the  Summer  or  dur- 
ing the  warmest  season  of  the  year.  The  ceiling  is  not 
boarded  or  plastered.  The  floor  of  the  first  or  second  story 
and  of  the  attic,  laid  upon  timbers  that  are  at  least  six  by 
eight  inches,  and  !iot  more  than  three  feet  apart,  is,  together 
wuth  the  beams,  painted  white  or  whitewashed,  and  the  walls 
are  papered.  The  whitewash  in  this  country  is  so  prepared 
that  it  does  not  mark  clothes  that  may  come  in  contact  with 
it. 

The  better  class  of  houses  are  painted  inside  and  out  every 
two  years,  and  the  amount  of  scrubbing  that  is  done  on  the 
floors  and  windows  and  sills  and  every  portion  oi  woodwork 
is  (I  was  going  to  say)  distressing.  Early  or  late  in  the  inns 
in  this  district  you  will  almost  constantly  see  or  hear  the 
scrubbing-brush  in  motion  with  such  emphasis  that  you  know 
it  is  the  planks  that  are  being  washed.  On  particular  days, 
as  on  Saturday  and  Wednesday  at  this  tavern,  there  is  the 


ii8  NORTHERN   EUROPE. 

nearest  approach  to  an  uproar  that  I  have  heard  about  the 
estabhshment;  all  on  account  of  a  small  zxmy  of  maids  at 
v/ork  with  brooms,  brushes  and  pails  filled  with  suds.  There 
is  no  corner  left  without  special  attention,  and  that  directly 
from  the  hand  of  the  servant.  There  are  no  mops  in  Swe- 
den. Such  implements  for  distant  approaches  to  dirt  with 
a  washing-cloth  or  rag  would  not  suffice  here;  and  observ- 
ing the  absence  of  our  familiar  household  weapon  of  war- 
fare against  the  dust  and  stains  of  our  American  habitations, 
I  made  inquiry  as  to  the  remaining  untraversed  districts  of 
this  country,  and  am  able  to  set  down  the  very  important 
wholesale  statement  as  above.  As  with  respect  to  Ireland 
and  the  snakes,  so  here  may  it  be  written:  "SWEDEN  and 
MOPS.     There  are  no  moi^e  in  Sweden." 

But  the  noise  in  cleansing  that  is  daily  heard  is  not  dis- 
tracting—  not  in  this  inn,  this  vardshus,  where  there  is  every 
possible  care  taken  not  to  disturb  the  guest  when  he  is  within 
— save  in  the  way  of  inviting  him  to  his  meals  and  the  like. 
You  are  asked  in  the  morning  at  the  hour  when  it  will  be 
discovered  somehow  —  I  don't  know  how — that  you  are 
awake,  if  you  will  have  your  coffee;  and  the  mid-day  meal 
(dinner)  will  be  announced  in  the  same  pleasant  way.  But 
when  you  leave  your  chambers,  at  any  time  from  5  to  9  in 
the  morning,  your  departure  will  be  noticed  and  such  ad- 
vantage taken  of  it  that  the  work  of  the  servant  is  completed 
before  you  return,  although  you  may  be  absent  not  more 
than  a  quarter  of  an  hour.  The  sweeping,  dusting,  first 
bed-making  and  the  arrangement  of  wearing  apparel  (the 
mattresses  are  piled  together  in  the  morning  and  spread  for 
your  rest  in  the  evening)  is  all  "done  in  a  jiffy,"  and  yet  neat- 
ly and  thoroughly  done,  by  the  girl  appointed  to  attend 
upon  you. 

Not  only  upstair  service  but  all  cooking  is  done  by 
women,  and  mostly  performed  by  women  that  in  age  and 
action  come  under  the  denomination  of  "girls."  The  cham- 
bermaids are  as  spry  as  kittens  though  by  their  counte- 
nances you  might  judge  some  of  them  to  be  30  years  of  age 
and  over.  And  the  young  women  of  Sweden  like  this  kind 
of  work. 


THE  VAED8H US  FAMIL  7  AND  NEIGEB OliS.    1 1 9 

Here  is  "our  girl,"  Anna  Jawzan,  who  is  as  lively  as  a 
bird  on  the  hop  and  merry  as  a  cricket.  She  need  not  work 
out;  the  landlady  has  told  us  so  repeatedly.  But  she  loves 
to  work,  and  especially  delights  in  this  class  of  labor.  Last 
hiring-day  her  mistress  advised  her  to  go  home,  because 
her  parents  could  well  afford  to  support  her  and  desired 
that  she  should  return,  but  although  she  loved  them  dearly 
— and  partly  on  this  very  account — she  begged  the  privilege 
of  remaining.  Anna  says  she  loves  to  work  and  to  earn 
money  with  w'hich  to  buy  presents  for  her  folks  ;  and  as 
they  have  no  need  of  her  at  home,  she  thinks  it  is  right  and 
best  that  she  should  serve  where  she  can  be  useful  and  earn 
wages.  She  has  a  friend  who  has  gone  to  Marysville,  Cali- 
fornia; and  this  friend  will  be  married  to  a' gentleman  who 
was  charmed  by  a  photograph  of  the  maiden  he  is  to  wed. 

Anna  is  greatly  pleased  with  the  compliment  that  is  paid 
her  by  the  intimation  that  she  has  only  to  send  her  photo- 
graph to  the  United  States  or  allow  it  to  be  placed  on  ex- 
hibition in  San  Francisco  to  bring  to  her  address  a  flood  of 
offers  of  heart  and  hand.  She  evidently  likes  to  revive  this 
subject  for  conversation.  The  compliment  is  deserved.  But 
all  the  while  Anna  says  she  is  content  and  very  happy  where 
she  is.  She  gets  60  kroner  (or  about  $17)  a  year,  and  her 
board  and  lodging; — for  work  during  at  least  sixteen  hours, 
in  the  day  with  the  privilege  of  eating  her  meals  at  odds  and 
ends  of  "made"  leisure  time.  The  members  of  our  party 
are  unitedly  of  the  opinion  that  she  does  not  put  full  faith 
in  our  statement  that  she  could  get  as  much  per  month  in 
California  for  her  services — if  she  obtained  a  situation  where 
she  worked  as  faithfully  as  here — as  she  now  received  as  an- 
nual payment  in  full. 

In  the  matter  of  cooking  I  am  sure  that  most  Americans 
will  feel  that  they  are  approaching  home  when  they  change 
from  England  to  Sweden,  It  is  not  well,  perhaps,  to  talk 
very  much  upon  this  subject,  lest  one  be  suspected  of 
epicurianism  or  of  a  chronic  disposition  to  complain.  But 
the  risk  of  that  private  criticism  in  the  mind  of  the  reader 
must  be  borne  by  the  conscientious  writer.     It  is  one  of  the 


I20  NORTHER]^  EUROPE. 

things  to  be  noted,  for  the  sake  of  information  and  with  a 
view  of  joining  hands  with  experienced  and  with  future 
travelers  on  a  crusade  of  public  sentiment  against  the  atro- 
cious cooking  that  is  the  cause  of  so  much  relative  misery 
nowadays,  endured  by  patrons  of  the  restaurants  of  London. 
As  already  recorded  the  cook  in  Sweden  is  a  woman  ;  and 
may  God  bless  her,  wherever  she  is.  She  is  not  as  artistic, 
perhaps,  as  our  friend  of  French  extraction,  but  within  the 
limits  of  her  school  she  is  a  minister  to  health  and  happi- 
ness. She  does  not  revel  in  grease  ;  and  her  white  bread 
and  her  cakes  do  not  present  to  you  crust-covered  balls  or 
parallelograms  of  sour  paste  or  demoralized  dough. 

But  of  all  cooks  with  whom  I  have  made  a  middag  and 
sexsor  acquaintance,  and  for  whom  the  female  members  of 
our  party  have  formed  a  personal  friendship  Anna  (favorite 
name  here)  of  the  Stromsholm  Vardshus  is  the  most  highly 
esteemed.  Sweet  little  bit  of  a  body  that  she  is  How  she 
can  fly  around  that  range,  and  prepare  and  lay  down  and 
turn  over  and  season  and  serve  up  the  meats  and  vegetables 
for  the  dish  and  platter  ! 

Do  not  mention  it  please,  but  here  is  another  case  of 
anxious  desire  to  emigrate  to  America  ;  and  that  would  be 
a  wise  head  over  the  household  of  abundant  provision,  that 
should  send  out  a  ticket  with  an  engagement  contract-paper 
for  re-imbursing  service,  to  Anna,  queen  of  the  kitchen  at 
the  Nyckterhet  Vardshus,  near  the  Castle  of  Eleonora  at 
Stromsholm,  Sweden 

And  this  inn,  taken  altogether?  It  is  a  home.  There  is 
peace  and  comfort  that  come  from  large  airy  rooms,  good 
beds,  the  best  of  simple  food,  excellently  cooked,  neatness, 
order,  alert  attendants,  and,  with  all  and  in  all  and  above  all, 
the  sense  of  a  welcome  that  is  unaffected,  unpretending,  un- 
obtrusive, heartily  sincere.  Glad  to  see  you.  Glad  for  a  very 
reasonable  sum  to  entertain  you,  and  give  you  her  own  at- 
tention in  a  hospitable  hostess  way — is  the  landlady  of  this 
stopping  place  for  the  pilgrim,  this  rest  for  the  weary.  Last 
year  she  was  housekeeper,  and  now  she  has  a  ten-year  lease 
as  proprietress  of  the  establishment,  and  there  will  be  many 


THE  VABDSHUS  FAMIL  T  AND  NEIGHBORS.       1 2 1 

additions  every  year  to  the  number  of  those  who  shall  join 
in  praising  the  administration  of  the  handsome  Hostess 
Marie  Anderson  ;  whose  likeness  is  hereunto  appended  : — 


LANDLADY    OF    VARDSHUS. 


122 


NOR  TIIERN  E  UK  OPE. 


XI. 

STROMSHOLM  TO  VESTANFORS. 

The  Stromsholm  Canal,  which  was  constructed  in  1777-95, 
and  straigthened  and  enlarged  in  1842-60,  starts  from  Lake 
Malaren,  at  a  point  about  one  mile  distant  from  Stromshold 
Castle.  With  the  intervening  locks  and  river  passages  the  dis- 
tance by  the  boat  from  the  first  lock  to  Smedjebacken  is  about 
sixty  of  our  miles.  In  this  distance  an  ascent  is  made  of  327 
feet.  This  is  twenty-seven  feet  higher  than  the  highest  point 
above  the  level  of  the  sea  reached  by  the  Gota  Canal.  This 
elevation  is  reached  at  Lake  Vefungen,  about  fifteen  miles  from 
Smedjebacken.  To  make  this  trip  from  Stockholm,  you  go  on 
board  one  of  the  boats  that  ply  on  the  canal  at  8  o'clock  at 
night,  and  leaving  the  Capital  city  at  11  p.  M.  and  traversing 
Lake  Malaren  arrive  at  the  mouth  of  Stromsholm  canal  at  5  in 
the  morning.  At  the  first  lock,  or  at  the  bridge  on  the  road 
that  leads  from  the  castle  to  the  house  of  the  Superintendent 
of  the  royal  estate  of  Stromsholm,  passengers  get  on  or  dis- 
embark. 

At  the  first  lock,  distant  from  the  Vardshus  half  a  mile,  we 
stepped  on  board  at  the  hour  named,  and  began  the  journey. 
We  had  no  exalted  expectations  in  connection  with  this  day's 
travel,  so  far  as  the  pleasure  of  beholding  charming  scenery  is 
to  be  considered,  for  neither  guide  books  nor  the  descriptions 
of  the  passage  which  we  chanced  to  hear  or  which  we  could 
elicit  from  others,  indicated  anything  unusually  fine  in  land- 
scapes or  the  views  of  water  and  sky  to  be  seen  along  the 
route.  So  there  was  a  surprise  in  store  for  ns,  as  the  panorama 
unfolded  was  in  many  points  equal  to  that  given  on  the  Gota 
inter-lake  sections,  while  the  hight  and  water  plunge  of  the 
double  locks  was  in  some  respects  peculiar  and  new  to  us,  and 
is  and  must  ever  be  gratifying  to  witness.  You  ne^•er  tire  of 
looking  at  a  steam  engine,  and  especially  at  a  locomoti^'e  in 
motion,  or  at  a  ship  under  full  sail.     There  are  sights  that  im- 


STROMSHOLM  TO   VESTANFORS. 


123 


prove  upon  repetition — grow  upon  you  like  a  great  edifice; — • 
and  the  same  may  be  and  must  be  said  of  such  spectacles  as 
are  presented  at  Skansen  and  at  other  places  where  the  flood  is 
let  in  upon  your  boat  from  second  story  traps 

Five  o'clock  is  an  early  hour  for  rising  at  any  season  of 
the  year;  but  when  the  sun  does  not  set  until  eight,  and  the 
twilight  holds  bright  until  eleven,  you  are  apt  to  cultivate 
a  habit  of  late  retiring,  which  makes  it  impossible  for  you  to 
sleep  before  midnight.  So  it  seems  extremely  cruel  on  the 
part  of  the  servant  girl  when  you  are  first  conscious  of  tlie 
fact  that  she  has  pulled  off  your  bed  clothing  and  is  shaking 
you  and  commanding  you  in  a  most  imperative  voice  to  get 
up  and  dress,  and  take  your  coffee  and  your  departure. 

The  morning  is  inclined  to  be  chilly,  although  it  is  the  21st 
day  of  July,  "  the  dew  is  on  the  rye,"  and  there  is  a  light 
mist  coming  up  from  the  marshy  ground  by  the  side  of  the 
canal,  in  the  upper  portion  of  this  great  valley.  The  lock  is 
only  a  ([uarter  of  a  mile  distant  from  the  inn  by  the  across- 
lots  path,  and  we  are  there  just  in  time.  Here  we  step  on 
the  Pius — the  smallest  steamboat  on  our  travel  calendar 
page  as  yet — as  it  rises  in  the  long  narrow  cistern  to  a  level 
convenient  for  the  reception  of  passengers.  Very  slowly 
through  this  portion  of  the  water  road,  for  the  distance  of 
half  a  mile,  our  small  vessel  (of  2i'^  tons  measurement)  pushes 
its  way  until  we  reach  the  junction  with  the  Kolbackso,  when 
the  "go  ahead"  lever  is  swung  to  the  last  notch  by  the 
Captain  himself. 

As  we  are  familiar  with  every  point  in  this  end  of  the  plain, 
our  attention  is  devoted  with  more  than  usual  keenness  and 
exclusive  care  to  the  officers,  men,  maids  and  passengers  that 
are  to  be  our  companions  during  the  next  eighteen  or  twenty- 
four  hours.  Captain  Frans  Emil  Talen  is  a  man  of  about 
thirty  years  of  age,  with  a  countenance  that  showed  intelli- 
gence and  a  spirit  of  humor.  It  was  easily  to  be  seen  at  a 
glance  that  he  did  love  a  joke.  And  when  he  heard  a  child 
in  our  party  address  some  words  of  English  to  us,  shortly 
after  we  climbed  upon  the  steerman's  deck,  he  left  the  wheel 
to  his  principal  sailor  (as  he  described  him)  and  came  up  to 
us  and  said  in  English,  "  Can  this  little  girl  tell  me  how  old 


124  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

she  is  ?"  It  transpired  that  he  had  been  three  years  in  the 
English  merchant-ship  service,  and  had  touched  at  Charles- 
ton, S.  C,  and  had  sailed  around  the  Horn  and  up  the  Pacific 
Coast  as  far  as  Callao.  Acquaintanceship,  or  rather  in- 
timacy, was  at  once  established;  and  there  has  been  another 
one  (No.  3  !)  of  those  boiled  dinner  parties  which  a  Yankee 
will  frequently  enjoy  in  these  days,  in  travelling  on  the 
Swedish  steamers  at  sea,  or  on  the  lakes,  rivers  or  canals  of 
the  kingdom.  Wc  have  been  told  that  we  shall  not  always 
find  courleous  officers,  but  we  have  yet  to  meet  with  an  ex- 
ception to  the  rule. 

The  small  vessel  is  every  inch  economized.  Sixty-two 
feet  long  and  sixteen  feet  wide,  she  has  no  room  to  spare; 
and  the  curiously  ingenious  manner  in  which  space  is  made, 
as  it  were,  affords  constant  little  surprises  to  the  younger 
members  of  our  company.  Even  we,  of  older  date,  often 
are  reminded  of  and  inclined  to  repeat  the  ejaculation  of  the 
queer  old  clerk  of  the  great  criminal  lawyer  that  is  portrayed 
in  "  Great  Expectations": — "  Halloa  !  here  is  a  breadbox  !" 
"  Halloa  !  here  is  an  ale-bottle  case  !"  "  Halloa  !  here  is  the 
Captain's  office  !"  Doors  open  in  sharp  corners  and  disclose 
shelving  for  linen;  seat-bottoms  turn  out  to  be  lids,  beneath 
which  there  is  a  great  stowage  ol  preserved  fruit  and  pickled 
edibles  of  many  sorts;  and  when  you  imagine  that  you  have 
gotten  inside  of  a  four  by  six  feet  dining-room  that  has  no 
possible  interior,  lo,  and  behold  !  panel  after  panel  is  pushed 
aside,  as  occasion  requires,  and  a  series  of  cupboards  ex- 
hibited, to  an  amount  and  in  a  way  that  suggests  the  con- 
jurer's tricks  of  multiplied  platters  and  inexhaustible  pitchers. 
Since  the  era  of  canal  boating  such  devices  have  been  un- 
questionably the  frequent  subject  of  human  invention,  but 
this  specimen  of  area-saving  for  useful  purposes  is  entitled 
to  mention  for  its  cunning  and  its  completeness.  We  were 
continually  arriving  at  and  departing  from  the  ultimate  in- 
quiry as  to  where  else  on  or  about  this  vessel  any  other  bar- 
leycorn of  space  could  be  utilized. 

The  cabins  are  under  the  forecastle;  and  while  they  are 
not  as  spacious  or  comfortable  as  a  room  of  similar  name  on 
the  Mississippi  or  Fall  River  boats,  they,  too,  provoke  won- 


STROMSHOLM  TO    VESTANFORS. 


I2S 


der  at  the  skill  of  the  planner  and  the  success  of  his  cubby- 
hole draughtmanship.  The  big  "sights"  of  nature  and  of 
art,  questions  of  state  and  the  appearance  and  speech  of  the 
distinguished  men  of  the  different  nations,  do  not  alone  form 
proper  subjects  for  observation  and  remark  on  the  part  of 
the  traveller,  my  friends;  but  even  these  little  matters  become 
at  times  full  of  interest,  and  seem  to  a  wandering  note-taker 
from  California  well  worthy  of  a  touch  of  mention,  for  the 
instruction  of  his  readers.  Yankee  whittling  knack  is  here, 
also;  and  my  brethren  of  Connecticut  and  Massachusetts  and 
Vermont  must  look  out  for  their  honors  at  tlie  next  great  in- 
ternational exhibition,  where  Stromsholm  and  Gotha  canal 
"boats,  as  well  as  a  racehorse  Malaren-lake  pleasure  steamer 
(an  improvement  on  the  one  exhibited  at  Philadelphia),  will 
surely  be  on  the  platform  as  competitors,  for  award.  The 
carpenter  schools  now  attached  to  almost  every  "primary" 
and  public  academy  in  this  kingdom  may  have  something  to 
do  already  with  this  production  of  Wolcott-desk  vessels,  for 
public  transportation  on  the  inland  waters  of  Sweden. 

The  sound  of  the  American  mower  is  heard  in  the  land  as 
we  plow  into  the  Kolbackso  Channel.  I  know,  my  dear 
Captain,  the  brand  of  the  Stockholm  Foundry  is  on  the  frame 
and  on  the  sheath  and  on  the  blade,  but  "that  ere  consarn  " 
was  got  up  in  the  United  States  of  America.  And  if  our 
folks  do  steal  books  in  the  absence  of  an  international  copy- 
right law— which,  I  grant  you,  ought  to  be  passed — your  folks 
take  (I  wouldn't  say  steal)  our  brothers'  inventions,  in  spite  of 
the  patents  obtained  for  them  in  your  own  offices.  I  have 
seen  this  sort  of  thing  before.  True,  the  patent  in  this  partic- 
ular case  may  have  expired;  but  you  had  this  article  in  opera- 
tion, without  compensation  or  credit,  long  before  the  right  of 
the  in\entor  ceased  under  the  Statute  of  Limitations.  And 
why  don't  you  gi\e  him  or  us  better  credit  for  the  razor  now, 
when  you  assert  or  admit  your  conscience  has  no  check  or  bur- 
den on  account  of  pecuniary  considerations  or  apprehensions  ? 

As  has  been  noted,  this  canal  was  remodeled  in  the  years 
from  1842  to  1S60,  and  the  name  of  King  Carl  XV,  on  iron 
Ijlates,  stares  you  in  the  face  at  e\ery  Ifjck.  When  the  work 
of  reparation  and  enlargement  was  going  on,  many  convicts 


126 


NORTHERN-  EUROPE, 


were  employed  at  different  portions  of  the  line.  On  our  left, 
in  the  upper  portion  of  this  Stromshohn  Valley,  there  were 
barracks  provided  for  the  accommodation  of  several  hundred 
men  in  penal  servitude,  who  had  to  labor  on  this  neck  of  the 
enterpbe.  It  is  said  that  the  officers  appointed  to  superin- 
tend and  direct  the  work  of  these  men  were  often  very  cruel  in 
their  treatment  of  the  prisoners,  and  tales  are  told  of  brutality 
that  are  of  a  shocking  character.  The  place  where  these  bar- 
racks stood  can  now  be  determined  only  by  the  memory  of 


SKANSEN    LOCKS. 


the  older  inhabitants  of  the  district,  or  a  veiy  careful  examina- 
tion for  foundation  abutments  of  the  buildings.  As  we  pass 
this  end  of  the  valley  we  see  the  spot  often  pointed  out  to  us 
by  our  van  driver,  Lagerquist,  where  the  convicts  were  housed 
at  night  during  the  period  of  their  labor  here;  and  we  recollect 
the  fact  that  he  and  others  testified  to  us  that  after  dark  it  was 
often  difficult  and  sometimes  impossible  to  get  a  nervous  horse 
past  this  point  except  by  jumping  out  of  the  conveyance  and 
leading  him — keeping  company  v/ith  him  side  by  side  until  the 


STROMSIIOLM  TO   VESTANFORS. 


127 


line  of  the  temporary  and  demolished  buildings  was  left  be- 
hind. When  we  expressed  incredulity — and  especially  if  we 
hinted  at  anything  like  commiseration  for  persons  afflicted  by 
superstitious  imaginations — we  were  invited  and  urged  to  make 
the  passage  ourselves  at  night,  with  the  reins  in  our  hands  and 
without  a  precise  knowledge  of  the  beginning  of  the  haunted 
ground. 

And  right  here  we  put  it  down  as  a  valuable  piece  of  advice 
to  a  traveler  in  this  part  of  the  globe:  Don't  you  utter  or  in- 
timate doubt  as  to  the  truth  of  any  fairy  or  hobgoblin  stories 
that  you  may  be  regaled  with  on  your  winding  ways.  In  the 
first  place,  don't  do  it,  because  you  may  anger  your  guide  and 
friend,  which,  of  course,  you  will  not  wish  to  do;  and,  sec- 
ondly, don't  do  it,  for  the  reason  that  thereby  you  may  pre- 
vent his  telling  you  many  an  entertaining  tale  as  you  pass  along 
to  points  beyond. 

At  Vesterqarn,  where  there  is  a  large  flour  mill,  you  ascend 
a  double  lock — the  first  we  had  seen  in  Sweden  and  among  the 
largest  that  have  been  constructed.  You  are  pushed  into  a 
granite  parallelogram,  as  a  Euclid  youth  on  board  described  it, 
and  there  you  are  closed  in  upon  for  wide  hydraulic  hoisting. 
Distant  from  you  100  feet  and  more  the  big  flood  faucets  are 
opened  simultaneously  and  the  yellow  but  translucent  liijuid — 
a  3x2  feet  of  solid  stream  on  either  side — having  the  appear- 
ance of  being  pressed  and  yet  fringed  at  the  four  corners  with 
foam — dashed  out  with  thundering  roar.  The  deep,  narrow 
chasm  holds  the  sound  and  bears  to  you  the  noise  of  the  rush 
and  the  fall  of  the  water  before  there  are  any  echoes;  and 
presently  many  reverberations  are  come  down  upon  you  in  ar- 
tillery intonations  from  the  upper  air.  A  score  of  rainbows 
play  on  each  wall;  a  brilliant  kaleidescope  is  vouchsafed  on 
this  schedule  at  this  season  of  the  year  by  the  aid  of  his  gra- 
cious majesty,  the  morning  sun.  The  guidebook  advice  is 
here,  as  well  as  elsewhere,  to  walk  around  the  locks.  My 
peremptory  command  is  to  those  who  like  to  heed  me:  Stay 
on  board. 

It  is  not  simply  the  old  Erie  Canal  elevation  that  you  ^vill 
enjoy  at  Skansen,  where  you  reach  the  second  of  the  double- 
lock  locations.     For  reasons  above  indicated,  stav  onboard. 


128  XORTIIERN  EUROPE. 

And  because,  also,  of  the  beauty  of  the  \ision  you  will  have 
when  you  get  up  to  the  level  of  the  gate,  this  direction  is  given. 
Even  our  worthy  and  mild -spoken  companion,  Baedecker,  says 
of  this  place  that  it  is  "  the  most  beautiful  point  of  the  pic- 
turesque scenery  on  one  of  the  most  interesting  canals  in 
Sweden."  You  fairly  rise  out  of  the  gloom  of  the  cave 
through  artificial  waterfall  fireworks  (if  such  a  phrase  is  per-^ 
missible — which,  I  know  it  is  not),  on  to  the  level  of  the 
closely-shaded  avenue  of  trees  which  border  the  way  for  a 
space  of  half  a  mile  beyond. 

An  elevation  of  60  feet  is  made  by  the  last  of  these  double 
gates,  and  at  Trangfors  you  are  about  140  feet  above  ihe  Ma- 
laren  Lake. 

A  little  way  beyond  Skansen  you  enter  on  a  small  lake 
(pond,  we  would  call  it),  in  the  midst  of  which  is  situated  the 
Island  of  Despair.  The  whole  area  of  the  water  is  not  more 
than  two  miles  long  and  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  width ;  and 
nearly  in  the  centre  of  this  sheet  is  the  oblong-shaped  acre  of 
land  on  which  the  tragedy  that  gave  the  title  to  the  place  was 
enacted.  With  all  names  and  dates,  one  of  our  party  enter- 
tains, or,  I  should  say,  horrifies  the  company  on  the  steers- 
man's deck  by  telling  the  story, — as  the  little  vessel  glides  up 
to  and  past  the  spot. 

It  was  in  the  year  1858,  when  the  work  of  rebuilding  the 
canal  had  been  nearly  completed,  that  one  of  the  lieutenants 
of  the  force  of  officers  in  charge  of  the  laborers,  made  love  to 
Nedar's  daughter  (Nedar  was  a  wealthy  farmer,  living  in  the 
•neighborhood  of  Skansen),  and  won  her  heart;  and  "she 
sweet  creature,  doted,  aye,  doted  in  idolatr}-  upon  this  military 
and  bewitching  man."  The  parents  were  bitterly  opposed  to 
the  suit.  They  had  great  influence  v\-ith  the  youth's  com- 
mander, and  obtained  the  orders  of  the  commanding  Major 
or  Colonel  for  the  imprisonment  of  the  uuwished-for  lover, 
during  the  time  that  their  fair  child  attended  a  ball,  that  was 
given  on  a  certain  night  in  jubilee  over  the  completion  of  a  set 
of  granite  ways.  The  daughter  apparently  acquiesced  in  the 
decree  of  her  father,  which  was  well  known  throughout  the 
camp,  to  the  effect  that  she  should  ne\er  see  the  trespassing 
lieutenant  again.     On  the  day  before  the  ball,  she  was  seen  to 


STROM SIIOLM  TO   VESTANFORS.  129 

go  into  her  parents'  bedroom  and  open  some  of  the  drawers 
in  their  bureau.  But  this  was  not  thought  a  singular  action  on 
her  paft,  as  she  had  often  done  the  same  thing  before.  But 
after  the  tragedy  it  was  known  that  on  this  visit  to  the  family 
chest  she  had  taken  out  her  father's  razor.  After  the  danc- 
ing she  was  missed  from  the  pavillion,  and  then  search  was 
made  for  her  and  her  discarded  lover,  who  had  also  disap- 
peared from  his  quarters.  As  neither  could  be  found  at  once, 
there  was  a  general  hunt  instituted  for  the  pair;  the  natural 
suspicion  being  that  a  runaway  match  had  been  agreed  upon 
between  the  two.  No  trace  was  discovered  of  the  fugitives 
until  the  following  morning,  when  they  themselves  disclosed 
their  place  of  hiding  by  coming  to  the  border  of  this  httle 
island  and  singing.  As  the  venerable  father,  accompanied  by 
a  pose  of  officers,  approached  in  a  boat,  his  beautiful  girl  was 
heard  to  exclaim,  "  What  you  are  to  do,  do  quickly  !" 
Whereupon  her  lover  cut  her  throat  with  the  razor  she  had 
taken  from  her  home,  and  then  severed  his  own  jugular  vein. 

Several  witnesses  of  the  dreadful  deed  are  still  living  on  the 
shores  of  this  lake,  and  it  is  said  that  they  delight  in  telling 
this  story,  with  all  its  horrible  details.  So  said  our  narrator, 
after  having  given  the  account  himself  with  great  fullness  and 
with  a  boasted  precision  in  pointing  out  places,  etc.  This 
awful  but  true  tale  might  somehow  be  woven  into  a  novel  that 
is  yet  to  be  written,  entitled  "The  Mystery  of  the  Castle  of 
Stromsholm."  The  unanimous  verdict  on  our  steamer's  deck 
was  to  the  effect  that  a  fellow  who  could  be  guilty  of  this  act 
of  throat-cutting  deserved  to  have  been  separately  hanged  sev- 
eral times  over — before  the  hour  appointed  for  the  murder 
and   suicide. 

The  ride  from  Skansen  to  Ramnas  unrolls  a  panorama  only 
less  beautiful  than  the  similar  passage  from  Motala  to  T'crg, 
on  the  Gotha  Canal.  The  charming  little  lakes  of  the  Nedre 
Nadden  and  Ofre  are  reached  through  a  double  lock,  which 
excites  all  the  interest  that  was  experienced  in  the  jaws  of  the 
giants  below.  At  least  it  may  be  said  that  one  docs  not 
quickly  tire  of  such  majestic  handiwork  of  man. 

At  Seglinsberg  there  is  a  large  iron  manufactory,  close  to 
the  curbing  of  the  gate ;  and  I   jumped  from  the   boat  to  the 


130 


NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


sidewalk  as  v;e  rose  to  the  upper  level,  and  entered  the  portion 
of  the  great  house  in  which  the  forges  were  located.  A  mol- 
ten stream  of  iron  lava  was  pouriug  out  of  one  of  the  furnaces, 
or  rather,  was  being  blown  out,  with  a  hissing  noise  and  a 
dazzling  light ;  and  in  company  with  two  or  three  other  pass- 
engers I  enjoyed  the  spectacle  for  several  minutes.  Than, 
judging  that  it  was  about  time  to  return  to  the  steamer,  we 
walked  toward  the  wharf  that  was  still  above.  On  our  way  we 
were  met  by  the  Captain  and  a  gentleman  by  the  name  of 
Andersen,  introduced  as  the  bookkeeper  of  the  establishment. 
"Come  on  with  us,"  said  the  Captain.  "We  have  been  in  the 
works,"  we  replied.  "O  I  am  not  going  to  take  you  into 
that  building,"  was  the  response;  "come  with  us  and  Ave  will 
show  you  another  part  of  this  manufacturing  concern." 

We  followed  up  the  hill  by  the  side  of  the  building  we  had 
visited  a  distance  of  about  one  hundred  rods.  There 
on  the  summit  of  the  ridge,  in  the  midst  of  a  yard  500  feet 
square,  was  the  covered  stone  foundation  of  a  house  that  stood 
on  this  spot,  and  was  destroyed  by  fire  nine  years  ago;  and  be- 
yond, on  the  west,  we  beheld  a  park,  whose  avenues,  rows  of 
trees,  flower  beds  and  bypaths  we  could  trace  at  a  glance — 
for  the  grounds  from  the  square  on  which  the  building  sat  was 
terraced  down  twenty  or  thirty  feet.  In  the  centre  aisle  were 
two  large  pedestals  of  granite,  on  which  busts  of  Linnaeus  and 
Swedenborg  had  once  appeared, — which  are  now  barren  of 
adornment.  This  scene  was  so  wholly  unexpected  that  no 
member  of  our  party  had  a  word  of  inquiry  to  make,  for 
several  minutes  after  the  plateau  and  garden  were  shown  to  us. 
It  was  remarked  at  last,  "Well,  this  does  overcome  us  with  a 
special  wonder."  Then  as  a  matter  of  course,  there  was  the 
simultaneous  inquiry  as  to  how  came  this  so.  Why  was  it 
thus?  When  will  this  house  be  rebuilt?  (The  charred  timbers 
that  composed  a  part  of  the  covering  told  of  a  fire,  and  some 
of  the  stepping-stones  had  been  evidently  cracked  by  heat). 
The  fioble  building  that  at  once  stood  here  and  this  adjoining 
pleasure  ground  were  formerly  the  property  of  a  wealthy  gentle- 
man, who  spent  nearly  all  his  Summer  time  and  some  of  win- 
ter weeks  at  this  place.  He  sold  the  premises  to  a  company 
after  the  house  was  destroyed,  and  now  these  grounds  were 


STROMSIIOLM  TO  VESTANFORS.  131 

used  as  a  Public  Garden.  A  band  of  music  plays  evenings 
and  on  Sunday  afternoons  during  the  warm  weather;  ball-plat- 
forms which  we  did  not  see  being  provided  in  an  adjoining 
plot. 

No  one  would  dream  of  his  proximity  to  such  a  cultivated 
spot,  from  the  condition  and  appearance  of  the  village  right  at 
and  immediately  about  the  sooty  landings  of  Sehngsberg. 
Our  Captain  and  his  comrade,  the  bookkeeper,  were  evidently 
accustomed  to  the  trick  of  leading  innocent  passengers  to  this 
hilltop  and  enjoying  their  amazement  at  the  sudden  change  in 
the  countenance  of  the  countr}\  As  much  in  the  temper  of 
fun  as  in  a  spirit  of  courtesy,  they  acted  as  guides  on  this 
occasion;  and  they  managed  to  leave  many  questions  un- 
answered until  they  were  repeated  for  the  tenth  time — more  or 
less — with  an  evident  sense  of  delight  at  the  puzzle  that  was  in 
their  possession  and  the  natural  and  morbid  anxiety  on  the 
part  of  the  tardily  tongue-loosend  company  that  surrounded 
them.  It  was  as  much  of  a  surprise  scene  as  though  you  came 
upon  Woodward's  Gardens  as  they  now  are,  after  an  eighth-of- 
a-mile  walk  over  the  Market-street  sandhills  that  once  were. 

To  show  the  sentiment,  I  will  record  that  when  we  had  re- 
turned to  the  boat  and  resumed  our  journey,  many  dwelt  for 
some  time  in  their  conversations  upon  the  beauty  of  the 
grounds  we  had  been  shown,  while  one  sat  in  rather  a  sullen 
mood — this  exceptional  individual  now  and  then  admitting  the 
justice  of  the  eulogiums  passed,  but  at  the  same  time  expressing 
a  wish  that  he  might  "get  even"  with  the  Captain. 

"I  told  you  I  would  show  you  something  you  wouldn't  be 
looking  for,''  remarked  the  Captain,  breaking  in  on  the  general 
talk  among  the  passengers,  with  a  manifest  appreciation  of  all 
that  was  being  said  and  felt. 

"Yes,"  said  a  testy,  wheezy  old  gentleman  in  knee  breeches 
and  red-bordered,  Delcarlain  long  coat;  "yes,  but  you  led  us 
to  suppose  that  we  were  going  to  see  something  extraordinary 
in  the  way  of  a  manufactory;  you  know  you  did;"  and  the 
irrascible  muttered  something  which  I  judged  must  have  been 
the  equivalent  for  "You  young  scoundrel!" 

"Why,  jw^  ought  to  have  known  all  about  that  place;  you 
have  been  up  and  down  here  a  dozen  times  before." 


132  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

"I  didn't  know  anything  about  it,  and  you  know  I  didn't; 
and  when  you  come  to  Bolanger  I  will  show  you  a  canal  boat 
running  on  dry  land.'' 

"Now  I  know  what  you  will  give  me,  beforehand." 

"But  you  will  forget  it  before  I  give  it  to  you,  and  you  don't 
know  what  it  is;  and  what  is  more,  you  ain't  going  to  know 
until  I  get  you  where  you  see  it." 

Here  was  an  enigma  sufficiently  outlined  to  provoke  in- 
quiry from  all  present;  and  the  questions  which  followed  and 
were  pressed  upon  the  ancient,  and  which  he  did  not  answer 
— not  so  much  as  by  a  hint  beyond  his  orignal  statement  to 
the  Captain — thoroughly  satisfied  the  worst  malcontent  of 
the  passage. 

This  Park  must  go  into  the  Mysteries  of  Strorasholm  Cas- 
tle. 

After  steaming  up  the  Virsbosjo  a  few  miles — as  delight- 
ful a  ride  as  was  ever  provided  on  similar  low  lines  of  dis- 
tant mountain  .and  narrow  river  and  lake-waters  al- 
ternately set  iri^Tahd  and  meadow  belts  and  fringings — we 
swing  around  the  point  of  a  little  peninsula  and  come  along- 
side a  wharf  at  a  place  described  as  of  some  importance  and 
called,  according  to  the  sign  over  the  railroad  station  door, 
Engelsberg.  A  short  piece  of  the  Stockolm  and  Storvick 
Railroad  is  in  sight,  and  there  is  a  handsome  station-house, 
with  a  little  wharf  and  platform  on  the  same  level  with  the 
rails. 

This  is  Engelsberg,  so  far  as  appears  to  the  traveler  by  the 
Stromsholm  Canal,  in  this  year  of  the  world.  Here  there  is 
unloaded  a  dozen  barrels  of  petroleum,  having  an  American 
stamp  on  them,  and  as  many  sacks  of  rye  flour.  Here  come 
on  board  half  a  dozen  gentlemen  of  large  waists,  who  take 
a  cheerful  drink  of  brandy  with  the  Captain.  From  hence 
we  make  a  sudden  departure,  carrying  off  one  of  the  men 
of  huge-grown  proportions  referred  to,  who  is  subsequently 
landed  at  a  point  a  half  mile  above  Engelsberg  by  means  of 
a  fisherman's  boat  that  is  called  for  by  the  importunate 
whistle  of  the  Pius. 

I  saw  the  merry  twinkle  in  the  Captain's  eyes  when  he  took 
the  wheel  and  sung  out  "framat"  — that  same  flash  that  was 


STROMSHOLM  TO  VESTANFORS.  133 

detected  when  we  first  greeted  him  at  lock  number  one, 
Stromshohn  Meadows.  And  I  noticed  through  the  glass  the 
unmistakable  lines  of  appreciative  wrath,  so  to  speak,  in 
the  face  of  the  fat  individual  aforesaid;  when  he  tumbled  out 
of  the  boat  into  the  mud,  and  tossed  a  kroner  to  the  boy 
that  paddled  his  canoe  to  the  worst  place  there  was,  any- 
where within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  on  either  side  for  a  boat,  to 
to  effect  a  landing.  There  is  going  to  be  retaliation 
here,  also,  without  any  warning  in  public.  I  should  like  to 
ride  with  this  Captain  for  a  week;  but  one  would  need  to  be 
on  his  guard,  lest  he  himself  serve  as  a  victim  of  misplaced 
confidence. 

Lake  Amman-ninger  is  next  entered;  and  here  there  is  an 
hour's  sail  that  is  also  of  fairyland  enchantment.  Our  sunset 
pictures  here  were  among  the  feasts  of  eyesight,  and  will  re- 
main among  the  most  entrancing  recollections  of  life. 

At  9  o'clock  we  reached  Vestanfors,  where  Bessemer  steel 
is  manufactured.     It  is  well  known  that  Swedish  iron  sur- 
passes in  excellence  of  quality  that  produced  anywhere  else. 
It  ought  to  be  known  in  our  country,  also,  that  we   would 
have  a  very  large  direct  trade  with  Sweden  if  our  vessels 
could  have  reliable   return   cargoes;   as,    for   instance,  bars 
and  implements  of  iron  and  steel.     Take  off  the  duties  on 
these  commodities,  and  California  canned  fruits  will  have  an 
immense  market  demand  and  draft  direct  from  this  country. 
A  little  reduction  in  prices  here  for  cur  preserved   meats 
would  result  in  a  great  sale  for  our  beef  and  pork  that  are 
prepared  in  sealed  cases  and  everywhere  acknowledged  to  be 
the   best   packages   of   their   kind  in   the  world.     And  our 
wheat  marketing,  or   direct  grain  exporting,  would  be  vastly 
increased — and  that  immediatley  and  with  rapidly  enlarging 
calls — if  the   tariff    that   is   on    Federal    statue   books     was 
judiciously  revised  and  reformed. 

We  visited  the  great  forges  at  Vestanfors,  at  which  every 
kind  of  bar  and  sheet  and  roll  of  iron  and  steel  is  manufact- 
ured out  of  the  finest  ores  that  can  be  sorted  in  this  hard,  ore- 
ribbed  country.  We  looked,  also,  into  the  little  shops  where 
provisions  are  sold,  and  found  articles  which  our  peo- 
ple  most    convenienly,    profusely   and   cheaply  produce,  in 


1 34  NOR THERN  E UROPE. 

the  lines  already  spoken  of  for  sale  at  a  figure  that  almost 
prohibited  purchases  on  the  part  of  the  middle  classes  and 
the  pretty-well-to-do  mechanic  and  artisan,  to  say  nothing  of 
the  peasantry.  And  I  renewed  and  intensified  my  allegiance 
to  the  doctrine  of  a  tariff  for  revenue.  Let  protection  as  the 
first  consideration  come  under  that  fundamental  principle; 
subject  to  the  estimates  tliat  are  made  first  of  all,  on  a  liberal 
calculation,  for  the  expenses  of  the  Federal  Goverment. 
Under  such  doctrine  in  law  made  manifest,  the  ocean  com- 
merce of  our  country  would  double  in  a  few  years,  and  Ameri- 
can ship  building  would  be  revived  as  a  common  industry. 
Citizens  living  and  laboring  in  California  would  have 
great  reason  to  rejoice,  because  of  the  vastly  enchanced  pros- 
perity of  all  men  diligent  in  mechanical  or  manufacturing  or 
horticultural  or  factory  or  farm  labor,  or  in  any  of  the  numer- 
ous businesses  or  pursuits  connected  with  the  exporting  and 
importation  of  goods. 


XII 

AT  SMEDJBACKEN. 

Rising  through  the  three  locks  into  Lake  Vefungen,  at 
Semla,  we  are  soon  between  banks  that  form  a  part  of  the 
"classic  soil  of  Dalarne."  The  twilight  deepens  so  that  we 
cannot  see  much  of  the  scenery  that  borders  Sodra  Barken 
and  Norra  lakes,  so  far  as  detail  of  view  is  to  be  mentioned; 
but  the  out-lines  against  the  horizen,  now  equally  luminous 
at  all  points  in  the  circle,  have  a  great  deal  of  suggestive 
beauty.  The  close  by  and  the  distant  black  tracery  immedi- 
ately under  the  heavens,  and  our  first  long  watching  here  of 
the  dimly,  gently,  shining  constellations — it  seems  to  us  as 
though  we  must  mention  these,  if  only  to  hint  as  to  the  lovely 
and  inspiring  sights  which  the  compass  of  this  volume  may 
not  always  permit  us  to  attempt  to  extendingly  describe. 


A  T  SMEDJBA  CKEN,  1 3  5 

When  such  "  darkness"  as  they  possess  here  at  this  season  of 
the  year — late  in  July — had  fairly  settled  down  on  the  face 
of  nature  we  retired  to  our  pocket  cabins,  but  were  speedily 
aroused  from  sleep  by  the  voice  of  the  Captain  speaking  to 
the  steersman  from  the  miniature  forecastle  over  our  heads, 
with  that  fat,  unctuous  and  yet  musical  drawl  and  emphasis 
which  he  and  his  brother  officer  on  the  Venus  always  put 
upon  the  first  syllable  of  the  last  word  of  the  phrase  of  caution 
singing  out:  Mycket  lidet  saki^.  (very  little  slower);  and  we 
then  knew  that  we  were  close  to  the  wharf  at  Smedjbacken. 
Presently  that  little  steamer  turns  its  prow  around  so  that  the 
flames  from  the  great  Smedjbacken  furnaces  that  have  their 
mouths  at  the  very  head  of  the  harbor,  cast  a  blaze  of  light 
into  our  cabin  windows.  We  look  out  and  see  the  firemen 
in  their  long  canvas  sacks,  with  their  wire  eye-shades  pro- 
truding half  a  foot  over  their  foreheads — hydras  and  gor- 
gons! — and  watch  the  rollers,  grasping  the  big  chunks  of 
metal  from  the  door  of  the  last  furnace  in  the  range,  and  by 
successive  racings,  passing  them  under  the  revolving  grooves 
that  gradually  reduce  them  and  lengthen  them  until  the  thirty 
feet  of  thin  slats  or  inch  rods  are  allowed  to  shoot  through 
the  smallest  pinchers  on  their  own  account; — left  contemi)t- 
uously,  as  it  were,  wdiile  a  jump  and  running  is  made  by  the 
second  set  of  workmen  for  the  next  gob  of  white-heated  and 
viciously  spitting  iron!  The  roar  of  the  blaze,  the  thumping 
of  the  ponderous  jaws  of  the  shaping  shafts,  the  apparently 
desperate  leaping  around  of  the  furnace  men — now  rushing 
at,  now  fleeing  away  from,  the  molten  logs  at  the  gates  of  the 
ovens  or  the  lessening  but  out-strecthing  javelins  of  light: — 
here  was  another  midnight  spectacle  of  thrilling  and  abi- 
ding interest.  But  evt-n  while  we  rest  our  chins  on  our  bull's- 
eye  windows  and  gaze  at  this  scene  of  industry  among  the 
Vulcans,  tired  nature  asserts  her  sway,  and  we  doze  and  un- 
consciously drop  back  upon  our  bunks  in  our  cabin  on  the 
Pius  by  the  side  of  the  long  low  wharf  in  the  town  of  Smedj- 
backen. 

One  cent  and  a  half  a  mile  for  a  first-class  passage,  in- 
cluding stateroom,  on  this   trip  on  this  steamer.     One  cent 


136  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

and  a  half  per  mile  for  passage  on  the  railroads  above  this 
line,  as  far  as  Falun. 

With  a  little  lock,  the  steamer  could  ascend  to  Ludivika, 
twenty  miles  North  of  this  place,  and  without  much  interven- 
ing canal  construction,  a  clear  through  route  for  a  vessel 
could  be  made  to  Mora.  There  is  not  merely  a  chain,  but 
a  network  of  lakes  in  this  part  of  Sweden;  and  the  Captain 
says  that  it  is  well  known  that  with  no  greater  difficulties  to 
overcome  than  were  encountered  on  the  Gotha  they  could 
all  be  connected  for  the  purposes  of  continuous  navigation. 
Next  year  the  company  that  now  owns  the  Pius  will  put  on 
a  swifter  boat,  by  which  the  passage  can  be  made  from 
Stockholm  to  Smedjbacken  in  seventeen  hours;  which 
would  make  about  eleven  hours  from  Stromsholm.  Tiav- 
elers  will  then  have  no  ground  of  complaint  on  tlie  score  of 
accommodations  on  this  route — until  they  get  to  Smedj- 
backen. 

The  l;oat  arriving  here  early  in  the  morning,  as  indicated, 
Smedjbacken  can  be  "seen"  in  the  forenoon;  and  I  advise  that 
the  afternoon  train  hence  to  Ludivika  be  taken.  At  the  last- 
named  place  there  is  a  good  hotel,  admirably  situated  fa- 
cing the  lake;  and,  as  Bsedecker  writes,  it  is  not  expensive. 
The  inn  at  this  place  is  kept  by  a  widow  lady,  whose  hus- 
band died  a  few  years  ago,  leaving  the  estate  in  debt  4,000 
kroners.  The  pecuniary  situation  of  the  concern  is  told  to 
every  guest,  in  so  many  words,  and  the  size  of  the  reckoning 
would  imply  something  of  the  kind,  if  not  a  direct  syllable 
was  uttered  on  the  subject.  The  European  tricks  for  rais- 
ing hotel  bills  to  an  extortionate  figure  have  all  been  import- 
ed into  Smedjbacken. 

Where  shall  we  drive?  There  are  no  mountains,  valleys  or 
plains  of  particular  interest  in  the  neighborhood.  The 
honest  hostler  tells  us  that  we  can  walk  to  the  ridge  beyond  the 
church  and  get  a  good  view  of  the  lake — the  best  in  the 
country  for  a  Swedish  mile  around. 

The  town  of  Smedjbacken  sits  on  the  slope  of  a  gently  ris- 
ing hill,  and  from  the  principal  street  near  the  the  church 
you  look  to  the  Southeast  upon  Lake  Norra,  three  hundred 
yards  distant,  and  across  a  mile  width  of  waters  to  the  low  lying 


A  T  SMEDJBA  CKEN.  1 3  7 

forests  on  the  farther  shore;  and  over  them  to  the  mountains 
of  moderate  hight  which  at  a  distance  of  ten  and  fifteen  miles 
— as  the  ridges  varyingly  run — form  the  extreme  Southeast- 
ern background  of  this  j^leasing  view.  A  more  salubrious  or 
prettier  situation  for  a  villags  it  would  be  a  difficult  to 
imagine.  The  church  is  planted  at  the  most  eligible  spot 
on  the  plateau  that  is  convenient  to  the  business  portion  of 
the  settlement,  a  real  fact  of  statement  and  not  a  mere  fact 
of  singularity  like  tlie  remarkable  running  of  the  great  rivers 
past  large  cities  in  the  interior  of  America! 

The  churchyard  slopes  very  gradually  down  toward  the  lake 
and  approaches  within  a  few  hundred  feet  of  the  waters. 
As  we  pass  by  in  the  morning  we  notice  a  newly-made  grave, 
and  on  our  returning  and  inquiring  we  learn  that  a  recently- 
deceased  young  lady  of  the  village  is  to  be  buried  in  the  after- 
noon. The  sides  of  the  grave  were  lined  with  evergreens  and 
the  bottom  was  already  strewn  thickly  with  flowers. 

The  hotel-van  driver  took  us  to  the  rope  walk,  which  he 
said  was  the  most  important  manulactory, — after  the  iron 
furnaces.  Four  boys  and  three  men  were  at  work; 
the  elders  spinning,  three  boys  turning  wheels  and  one 
sorting  flax.  The  boys,  who  are  very  adroit  in  their 
labor  average  a  kroner  (or  about  26  cents)  a  day,  for 
twelve  hours  work;  the  men  receive  twice  that  sum.  The 
rope  was  for  halters,  fishing  nets  and  packing  thread,  and 
has  a  very  wide  reputation  for  its  excellence.  Raspberries 
are  just  coming  into  the  market,  and  the  ropcwalk  men 
clubbed  together  and  bought  four  quarts  for  fifty  ore,  or  13 
cents. 

We  asked  the  driver  how  long  he  had  been  in  his  place,  etc. 
He  had  been  foreman  of  the  stables  and  coachman  for  six 
years  and  over.  His  wages  were  500  kroner  a  year,  out  of 
which  he  must  pay  all  his  expenses.  He  said  that  he  could 
not  save  anything  after  he  had  provided  for  his  family  and 
supplied  hirnself  with  the  fine  clothing  which  he  must  have 
in  his  position.  He  did  not  speak  in  a  complaining  or  mur- 
muring tone  at  all,  but  after  the  manner  of  ihe  country — frankly 
in  reply  to  our  questions.  He  wished  that  he  could  save  enough 
to  go  to  the  United  States,  but  he  had  nothing  "laid  up"  at  the 


138  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

end  of  the  year.  Simply  this.  But  he  does  not  Hke  the 
nobles.  On  this  topic  he  Avas  strong  and  even  vehement  in 
his  expressions.  The  country  he  said  was  cursed  with  the  no- 
bility; such  were  his  sentiments.  And  among  other  matters 
that  he  mentioned  in  this  connection  we  noted  his  statement 
that  the  poor  in  the  parish  said  that  the  rich  and  titled  could 
eat  all  the  eels  that  are  caught  in  the  streams.  "Those  creatures 
are  as  much  snakes  as  if  they  had  rattles  on  them,"  said  our 
guide  and  rein-holder;  "they  act  precisely  the  same  as  hoopers 
when  you  put  them  in  a  pot.  We  have  tried  them,  and  we 
all  say  that  the  nobles  and  big  bellies  can  have  all  of  that  kind 
that  there  is  in  the  market.  That  is  one  luxury  that  they  are 
welcome  to  at  any  rate." 

We  drove  to  a  large  manufactory  where  every  sort  of 
agricultural  implement  is  made — a  great  shop  and  turning  mill 
that  is  called  "The  American  Iron  Works."  The  men 
were  going  to  dinner  at  i  o'clock,  and  we  inspected  the 
machinery  at  our  leisure.  We  could  not  learn  that  any 
American  was  on  the  premises,  in  the  superintendency  or  fore- 
manshipof  the  place,  but  we  thought  that  there  were  abundant 
evidences  of  coyping  after  our  foundries  and  engine-fitting 
works  in  New  York  and  San  Francisco. 

The  hour  for  the  funeral  was  set  at  five  o'clock.  We  reach- 
ed the  churchyard  at  half -past  four.  The  grave  was  already 
surrounded  by  a  large  gathering  of  women  and  girls  of  the  vil- 
lage and  vicinity;  all  engaged  in  conversation  respecting  the 
character  of  the  deceased  and  the  circumstances  of  her  un- 
timely death.  We  soon  learned  the  name  of  the  dead;  often 
uttered  with  tender  and  tremulous  intonation — Minna  Carlson. 
She  was  just  past  her  twentieth  birthday.  She  was  the  handsom- 
est girl  in  the  neighborhood ;  for  a  long  time  the  belle  the  of  par- 
ish. Her  father,  who  died  not  many  years  ago,  was  a  wealthy 
merchant.  She  died  of  a  broken  heart:  deserted  by  the  suitor 
who  had  gained  her  affections  and  then  taken  his  unannounc- 
ed departure  for  unknown  lands.  Such  was  the  story  that  we 
gleaned  from  the  whispering  speech  of  the  companions  and 
acquaintances  that  surrounded  her  fir-lined  and  garlanded 
grave. 

It  was  not  until  half  past  five  that  the  great  bell  began  lo 


A  r  SMEDJBA  CKEN.  1 3  9 

ring — not  toll — signifying  the  approach  of  the  pall-bear- 
ers with  the  body  that  was  to  be  laid  in  this  yard  this  night. 
After  ten  minutes  of  ringing  the  head  of  the  little  procession 
was  seen  coming  around  the  corner  of  the  street,  at  the 
South  and  West  of  the  church  inclosure.  There  was  no 
hearse.  The  cofhn  was  borne  by  six  young  men,  who  held  it 
between  them  upon  broad,  black  linen  straps,  which  passed 
over  their  shoulders.  There  were  no  female  mourners  in 
the  procession;  the  only  relative  present  at  the  sepulchre 
being  her  brother,  the  officiating  clergyman.  He  was  a 
young  man  of  not  more  than  30.  He  walked  to  the  grave 
leaning  upon  the  arm  of  a  middle-aged  man,  who  clasped 
his  afflicted  friend  across  the  back  and  held  him  up,  literally 
at  times,  during  the  religious  ceremonies.  The  body  being 
lowered  into  the  receptacle  prepared  for  it,  the  brother  cast 
a  bouquet  upon  the  lid,  and  many  others  then  and  after- 
wards walked  up  and  dropped  their  wreathes  and  bunches  of 
roses  and  violets  where  his  costlier  offering  was  laid.  Then 
there  was  the  singing  of  a  hymn, — wretchedly  sung  by  the 
choir  master  or  organist  of  the  paiish.  Then  the  young 
priest  raised  his  voice — after  several  ineffectual  efforts  to  do 
so — and  read  the  prayers  that  are  set  down  for  such  an 
occasion.  Then  he  cast  the  earth  upon  the  coffin:  "Earth 
to  earth,  ashes  to  ashes,  dust  to  dust."  Then  another 
hymn  was  sung;  and  then  came  a  funeral  discourse  by  the 
brother,  uttered  amid  many  interruptions  from  his  own  ir- 
repressible sobbing  and  cries  of  sorrow  from  tlie  weeping 
multitude  that  crowded  around  the  place  of  interment. 
The  young  man  took  for  his  scripture  the  inquiry  as  to 
How  it  was  with  the  child;  the  reply  that  the  child  Avas 
asleep,  and  the  following  declaration  that  it  was  well  with 
the  sleeper.  For  half  an  hour  the  preacher,  with  earnest 
eloquence,  expounded  the  doctrine  of  the  text.  In  his  clos- 
ing passages,  where  he  bade  farewell  to  tlie  sister — "O, 
how  beloved  in  her  own  household  and  by  all  without  the 
family  circle  who  came  to  know  her  well," — there  were  no 
dry  eyes  in  the  throng,  while  the  sound  of  low  wailing  told  of 
many  women  and  men  in  close  communion  of  suffering  and 
sympathy  with  the  chief  of  mourners  at  this  fair   one's  tomb- 


140  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

"Farewell,  O,  my  sister!  a  bride  now  within  the  gates  of 
Paradise.  Thou  knowest  how  my  soul  goes  out  to  thee;  thou 
must  be  conscious — I  am  sure  by  reasoning  from  the  memory 
which  our  Heavenly  Father  will  leave  to  you  of  the  bless- 
ed past  that  was  in  this  life — that  we  are  weeping  over  thy 
dear  remains.  You  knew  that  I  would  be  here;  you  feel,  with 
out  a  sense  of  pain,  but  in  the  bright  expectation  that  comes 
quick  to  you  of  our  meeting  hereafter,  that  I  am  beside  your 
lowly  grave.  And  can'st  thou  see  this  troupe  of  loving 
friends?  And  dost  thou  know  that  thy  precious  form  reposes 
upon  the  fairest  flowers  of  the  vale,  brought  by  their  hands? 
O,  God!  if  by  nature  or  infirmity  she  loved  too  much  Avithin 
this  cold  world's  orbit,  we  trust  and  believe  that  much  will  be 
forgiven.  And  strengthen  me  and  all  of  us  from  this  hour, 
that,  as  she  followed  or  strove  to  walk  in  the  footsteps  of  her 
Saviour,  despite  all  weakness  or  infirmities  of  her  nature,  we 
may  steadily  push  forward  in  the  path  of  devotion  and  duty. 
Farewell,  O,  sister!  For  nearly  a  score  of  years  we  have  been 
conscious  of  our  companionship  in  a  household  of  unselfish 
affection.  What  sweet  memories  are  ours  together,  and  ours 
alone,  only  we  and  our  Saviour  know.  But  we  will  yet  tes- 
tify of  a  friendship  tliat  passeth  human  speech  to  describe, 
when  both  shall  stand  in  the  presence  of  our  Maker  and  our 
Judge.  Farewell,  O,  sister!  And  yet  not  farewell.  It  is  the 
bitter  night  of  our  parting;  but  the  day  of  a  never-ending  re- 
union is  at  hand." 

At  the  moment  of  uttering  his  last  sentence  the  brother  fell 
back  into  the  arms  that  were  open  to  receive  him,  and  the 
huge,  deep-toned  bell  began  again  its  solemn  chorus;  and  as 
its  mournful,  now-muffled  cadences  were  sounding  in  our  ears, 
the  coffin  was  covered  with  the  sand  and  the  sods  of  the 
cemetery;  and  he,  stricken  down  at  last  to  unconsciousness 
despite  all  his  manly  resolution,  was  carried  by  the  pall-bear- 
ers to  his  mother's  home. 


DELECARLIA.    SMEDJBACKEN  TO  LEK8AND.    141 


XIII. 


DELECARLIA.— SMEDJBACKEN  TO  LEKSAND. 

A  BRANCH  road  comes  down  from  Ludvika  to  Smedj- 
backen,  a  distance  of  about  twenty  miles,  and  from  the 
last  named  place  you  can  take  your  railway  departure  at  5  .-30 
A.  ]\i.,  by  stepping  on  board  the  train  that  halts  beside  the 
platform  at  the  rear  of  the  one  hotel  of  which  Smedjbacken 
boasts.  For  a  little  over  one  cent  a  mile  we  ride  to  the 
pleasant  village  and  watering-place  of  which  we  have  al- 
ready spoken.  At  present  you  must  walk  a  half  mile  from 
the  branch  railway  depot  at  Ludvika  to  the  station  on  the 
main  line  that  runs  thence  to  Borlange. 

About  an  hour  and  a  half  is  occupied  in  traversing  the  dis- 
tance between  Lake  Vessman  and  our  jumping-off  place  on 
the  trip  through  the  province  of  Delecarlia.  The  railway 
runs  through  an  interesting  section  of  country  and  encoun- 
ters but  few  formidable  obstacles  to  the  engineer.  There 
is,  however  one  tunnel,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  long,  about  which 
there  was  at  first  much  bragging,  on  the  part  of  a  few  of  our 
many  fellow  passengers,  who  evidently  had  not  been  far  from 
their  native  home,  either  by  travelling  or  reading.  Soon 
however  we  were  told  about  the  Alps  and  the  Hoosac  moun- 
tains and  the  Los  Angeles  and  San  Francisco  Ranges 
("Ja  so")  and  their  tunnels;  so  informed  by  Frokcn  Wanberg 
and  other  very  intelligent  members  of  the  company  with 
whom  we  here  first  made  an  agreeable  acquaintance.  For 
some  time  our  nationality  was  not  suspected,  but  so  soon  as 
it  transpired,  our  brighter  Swedish  chance  companions  were 
determined  that  we  should  see  that  they  at  least  were  not 
ignorant  of  the  great  railroad  engineering  achievements  of 
the  world.     The  road  was  bordered  most  of  the  way  by  ]Mne 


1 42  NOR TBERN  EUROPE. 

groves  of  recent  and  slender  growth,  while  close  beside  the 
track  the  magenta  and  other  wild  flowers  blossomed  in 
great  profusion.  We  passed  several  of  the  largest  mines  in 
the  kingdom;  and  in  many  an  opening  in  the  woods  the 
long  pumping  arms,  distant  in  parallels  from  each  other  ten 
or  twelve  feet,  were  seen  slowly  and  irregularly  swinging  on 
their  tent-stretched  pivot  rods. 

As  the  train  moves  down  into  and  at  one  edge  of  the  vast 
valley,  in  the  midst  of  which  Borlange  is  situated,  there  is 
presented  a  magnificent  view  of  plain  and  far-off  amphitheatre 
mountain  sides.  The  two  great  churches  that  are  embraced 
in  this  landscape  form  very  interesting  objects  upon  which 
to  rest  the  eye  and  fix  the  line  of  different  pictures  that  you 
desire  to  retain  in  your  memory.  At  Borlange  we  take  what 
is  called  a  "diligence"  and  ride  three  miles  to  Basta,  on  the 
Dalaf ;  said  diligence  being  a  vehicle  very  much  after  the 
style  of  our  smaller  emigrant  wagons.  These  conveyances 
— there  are  two  of  them — hold  nine  persons, — four  on  each 
of  the  side  seats  and  one  with  the  driver  ;  but  the  measure- 
ment is  for  persons  that  are  under  rather  than  above  the 
average  dimensions.  One  corpulent  gentleman  threatened 
to  squeeze  the  complement  unmercifully,  but  on  his  appear- 
ance two  young  men  who  had  taken  seats  agreed  to  walk 
(as  the  majority  of  the  passengers  did)  between  the  station 
and  the  boat-landing  ;  and  We  had  the  jolly  fat  man  as  the 
lively  joker  and  story-teller  of  this  short  parenthetical  ride. 

At  Borlange  we  were  introduced  to  a  wealthy  and  widely 
known  Delecarlian  who  resides  near  Leksand;  whose  daugh- 
ter recently  married  a  German  nobleman.  At  the  wedding 
of  his  child  he  had  five  Governors  present,  and  for  six  days 
he  kept  open  house  in  celebration  of  the  nuptials.  He  wore 
the  costume  of  his  District,  and  he  desired  to  have  us  know 
— and  he  impressed  it  upon  us  by  several  repetitions — that 
his  daughter  wore  the  dress  of  her  village  when  she  stood  at 
the  altar.  A  fine  looking  man  was  he,  and  we  could  well 
believe  the  statement  that  came  from  every  quarter  to  the 
effect  that  his  daughter  was  a  beautiful  child.  [There  is  a 
sweet  Swedish  phrase  for  this  eulogy.] 


DELECARLIA.   8MEDJDACKEN  TO  LEK8AND. 


143 


At  Basta,  which  is  a  "village"  of  three  houses  situated  ten 
rods  apart,  the  little  five-ton  steamer  is  waiting  for  us — a  boat 
about  the  size  of,  and  with  the  exception  of  the  cabin  in 
the  after  part,  resembling  the  boats  of  the  Thames.  Pas- 
sengers have  time  to  run  up  on  the  Predikstol,  not  twenty 
rods  distant  from  the  landing,  and  enjoy  the  view  to  be 
had  there — a  landscape  that  takes  in  twenty  or  thirty  miles 
of  meadow  and  forest. 

We  were  two  and  one-half  hours  ascending  the  river  Gag- 
ness  Kyrka;  but  it  is  only  meager  justice  to  this  part  of  the 
trip  to  say  that  the  ride  is  so  pleasant  that  you  regret  that 
the  distance  is  not  twice  as  great  as  it  is.  The  banks  are 
generally  high  but  the  pictures  of  the  river  avenues  are 
fine.  A  few  miles  above  our  starting  point  we  pass  under  a 
temporary  scaffolding  constructed  alongside  of  half  com- 
pleted bridge  works  of  the  best  character — designed  as 
foundations  for  railway  arches. 

At  Gagness  Kyrka  we  have  a  diligence  ride  of  a  mile  to 
Grasta,  where  we  take  passage  on  the  handsome  steamer  Gus- 
taf  Wasa  (of  30  tons  burden,  with  amid-ship  located  and  hand- 
somely furnished  dining-room,  and  cabin,  etc.):  ascending 
on  this  boat  the  Dalaf  and  Insjo  to  Leksand.  At  the  land- 
ing at  Grasta  we  see  a  half-dozen  of  the  Delecarlian  women 
attired  in  the  dress  we  had  admired  so  much  at  Stockholm 
— each  one  with  a  little  babe  on  her  lap  and  a  stocking  in 
process  of  completion  in  her  hand. 

The  hour's  ride  on  the  Gustaf  Wasa  to  the  foot  of  a 
South-east  bay  of  Lake  Siljan,  is  between  banks  that  much 
resemble  those  that  stand  on  either  side  of  the  river  from 
Basta  to  Gagness;  only  that  the  stream  is  somewhat  wider 
and  deeper,  you  could  scarcely  mark  any  distinction  at  all. 
But  there  is  ''variety"  in  the  passage,  derived  from  the 
internal  domestic  fact  that  the  Gustaf  Wasa  is  "navigated" 
by  a  drunken,  noisy  master  who,  as  it  subsequently  ap- 
peared, has  acquired  a  reputation  for  insolent  abuse  towards 
the  patrons  of  his  company — a  reputation  that  extends  from 
Mora  to  Stockholm.  The  woman  who  had  charge  of  the 
saloon  told  one  of  our  fellow-passengers  that  she  had  been 


144 


NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


praying  for  a  month  that  some  one  would  report  the  Cap- 
tain to  headquarters.  But  she  said  that  usually  travelers 
declared,  that  as  they  had  to  ride  with  him  frequently  they 
were  not  going  to  make  an  enemy  of  him;  and  as  for  the 
tourists,  they  soon  discovered  what  kind  of  a  creature  he  was 
and  treated  him  with  contempt, —  replying  when  urged  to 
complain,  that  it  was  the  duty  of  those  whp  were  his  regular 
customers  to  testify  about  his  outrageous  conduct,  before 
the  company's  agents   at   Mora   or   Leksand,  and  that  they 


LEKSAND  CHURCH. 


would  not  go  out  of  their  way  or  stop  to  do  that  kind  of 
public  service.  Every  one  admits  that  the  dirty  fellow 
should  have  been  reported,  and  reported  long  ago.  If  Gustaf 
Wasa  were  alive  and  should  come  across  such  a  Captain 
on  board  of  a  vessel  bearing  his  name,  he  might  be  expect- 
ed, according  to  Northern  "orientalisms,"  to  take  the  wretch 
by  the  nape  of  the  neck  and  fling  him  over  into  the  Baltic 
Sea. 


DELECARLIA  SMEDJBACKEN  TO  LEKSAND.       145 


The  landing  at  Leksand  is  much  like  the  steamboat  wharf 
that  once  was  at  the  foot  of  Omaha  Bluff,  before  the  building 
of  the  bridge  across  the  Missouri  at  that  point.  You  ascend 
fifty  or  sixty  feet,  by  a  circuitous  path,  to  the  level  of  the  one 
long  village  street  that  runs  close  to  the  line  of  the  Ostervick 
bank.  The  visitor  by  this  ascent  reaches  about  the  middle  of 
the  village,  as  measured  from  the  Kyrka  on  the  Northeast  to  the 
end  of  the  row  of  buildings  that  constitute  the  stores  and  resi- 
dences of  the  Leksanders  proper. 

Close  to  this  point,  is  the  house  of  our  entertainer,  Andreas 
Gustaf  Wickstrom  ;  and  we  have  reason  to  feel  grateful  to 
friends  at  Smedjbacken,  who  gave  us  his  address.  In  a  spirit 
of  gratitude  and  in  obedience  to  the  golden  rule,  we  mention 
his  name  and  advise  others  to  follow  our  example,  and  prefer 
his  accommodations  to  those  of  the  landlord  at  the  large 
hotel. 

We  have  observed  all  along  this  trip  from  Stromsholm  that 
the  crops  look  unusually  well  (for  we  join  to  our  own  notice  of 
their  excellent  present  promise  the  statements  of  comparison 
made  by  our  fellow-voyagers,  who  are  familiar  with  the  coun- 
try, from  place  to  place).  We  have  been  surprised  to  see  such 
splendid  rye,  often  five  and  even  six  feet  in  length,  with  ker- 
nals  apparently  filling  to  fatness  on  every  straw.  But  many 
ominous  shrugs  of  the  shoulders  and  occasional  exclamations  of 
fear  on  the  part  of  those  with  whom  we  converse  on  the  subject — 
inhabitants  of  this  District — tell  of  the  possibility  of  a  wet 
season  that  may  possibly  beat  down  and  diminish  the  quan- 
tity and  impair  greatly  the  quality  of  the  grain.  Here  they 
say  that  they  are  never  sure  of  their  crop  until  they  have  it  in 
the  bread.  Already  there  is  whispering  about  the  potatoes 
showing  signs  of  rot ;  and  O  !  if  they  should  ! 

As  already  sufficiently  stated,  perhaps,  Lecksand  is  situated 
on  a  bluff,  with  respect  to  the  lake,  at  the  Siljan  edge  of  a 
meadow  plain.  At  the  Northeast  end,  close  to  the  water  line, 
is  a  great  church,  with  a  turnip-shaped  central  tower.  At  the 
Southern  extremity,  or  foot  of  the  street,  is  a  large  white 
house — contrasting  with  all  other  dwellings  by  its  color  and 
size — in  which  we  are  often  and  explicitly  told,  Don  Pedro 


146  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

of    Brazil   did    lodge   when   he    condescended    to   visit   this 
District. 

Froni  the  Wickstrom  Mansion,  not  far  from  the  line  of  the 
steamer  landing,  to  the  gate  of  the  churchyard,  a  distance  of  a 
quarter  of  a  mile,  is  an  avenue  lined  with  birch  trees,  set 
about  fifteen  feet  apart,  and  of  the  growth  of  one  of  our  ma- 
ture maples.  Between  this  line  of  trees,  on  the  left  hand  as 
you  go  toward  the  church,  is  a  green  field.  On  the  other  hand 
houses  and  building-site  lots  alternate. 

On  Saturday  afternoon,  shortly  after  our  arrival,  we  started 
to  walk  from  Master  Wickstrom's  to  the  Kyrka.  Down  this 
pleasant  road,  at  about  mid-distance,  we  met  an  old  lady,  with 
a  cane  in  one  hand  and  a  basket  in  the  other,  very  slowly 
making  her  way  toward  the  centre  of  the  village.  She  did  the 
best  she  could  to  courtesy  to  us,  and  we  stopped  and  inquired 
her  name  and  age.  She  said  that  she  was  ninety-two  years  of 
age,  and  was  dependent  on  the  town  or  parish  for  her  support. 
I'hen  she  asked  our  names  and  nativity,  which  we  gave  her. 
We  then  dropped  a  small  piece  of  money  into  her  basket, 
whereupon  she  trembled  violently  and  let  her  cane  fall  and 
picked  up  the  coin.  We  were  passing  away  from  her  when  we 
were  stopped  by  her  exclaiming  :  "  O  !  what  is  this  ?  Silver! 
Strange  people  giving  silver  to  an  old  woman  like  me  !  Silver  ! 
May  the  Lord  be  in  your  heart  ?"  And  as  she  took  the  stick, 
which  a  little  child  raised  for  her  and  put  in  her  hand,  she  re- 
peated her  grateful  wish  ;  and  as  we  moved  on,  and  during 
our  walk  for  a  distance  of  twenty  steps  beyond  the  spot  where 
she  stood,  we  heard  her  saying  to  herself,  now  in  a  low  tone 
and  again  in  a  high-pitched  voice,  "O,  this  is  wonderful !  This 
is  something  that  cannot  be  studied  out !" 

The  church  will  seat  two  thousand  people,  and  is  the  first 
edifice  of  the  kind  that  we  have  seen  outside  of  Stockholm 
that  has  a  central  tower  instead  of  a  steeple  at  the  front ;  in 
this  respect  being  like  nearly  all  the  Established  Church  build- 
ings of  worship  in  the  Swedish  Capital.  The  surrounding 
churchyard  embraces  fifteen  or  twenty  acres,  and  is  used,  of 
course,  as  a  place  of  interment  by  the  parish.  When  we  spoke 
of  the  comparatively  few  number  of  gravestones  or  monu- 
ments, in  conversation  with  a  man  whom  we  chanced  to  meet 


DELECARLIA  SMEDJBACKEN  TO  LEKSAND.      147 

in  the  inclosure,  he  remarked  :  "  Well,  we  don't  scatter  our 
dead  as  you  do.  A  family  whose  members  love  each  other  in 
this  life  want  to  be  buried  together  and  rise  together." 

Here  was  information,  explanation,  justification  (if  need  be) 
and  sharp  shot  at  our  lack  of  affection  for  one  another,  as 
manifested  in  our  cemetery  arrangements  (it  may  be),  and  the- 
ology withal, — all  in  one  condensed  and  compact  dose.  We 
must  have  a  care  how  we  question  these  Delecarlians,  lest  by 
our  inflection  we  seem  to  imply  some  or  any  sort  of  criticism 
on  their  habits,  fashions  or  methods  of  treating  or  disposing  of 
their  dead  ! 

A  Summer  Sunday  morning  at  Leksand  Kyrka  is  a  far-famed 
date  and  location  for  a  spectacle  worth  beholding.  A  thousand 
farmers  and  farmers'  wives,  sons  and  daughters  are  in  attend- 
ance, dressed  for  the  most  part  in  their  picturesque  costumes — ■ 
coming  in  small  companies — -five,  eight,  and  even  a  dozen  in  a 
party.  They  begin  to  gather  in  the  churchyard  at  half -past 
9  o'clock,  and  from  that  hour  on  to  service-time  there  was  also 
an  entertaining  and  enlivening  scene  of  processions  of  boats 
coming  down  the  lake,  bearing  families  and  neighbors  from 
adjacent  settlements  or  bees.  Before  Siljansnas  had  a  church 
of  its  own,  it  is  said  that  more  than  half  the  congregation 
came  from  across  the  lake  on  a  Sunday  or  feast-day  morning. 

The  men  and  women  sit  on  opposite  sides  of  the  church, 
which  rule  resulted  in  bringing  about  five  hundred  of  the  dal- 
kuUer,  or  young  women,  into  one  division  of  the  building; — 
right  under  my  eyes  as  I  sat  in  the  big  pillar  corner  of  the 
men's  side  of  the  gallery,  immediately  below  the  organ  loft. 
This  position  I  reached,  I  may  mention,  by  the  rather  undig- 
nified process  of  climbing  over  the  partitions — two  of  them — 
between  the  entrance  platform  of  the  ladies'  gallery  and  the 
premises  allotted  to  the  male  sex  ; — having  unwittingly 
ascended  on  the  wrong  side  of  the  Southern  end  of  the  chure  h. 
Two  boys,  about  sixteen  years  of  age,  before  whom  I  finally 
took  my  seat,  were  very  much  amused  at  mv  expense. 

As  1  have  not  anywhere  seen  a  full  or  accurate  description 
of  the  peculiar  dress  or  costume  of  these  people — and  as  much 
as  possible  I  seek  to  avoid  dwelling  upon  those  matters  spoken 
of  in  the  guide-books  or  the  published  books  of  travel — I  will 


148  ^OR  THERN  E  UR  OPE. 

give  as  complete  an  "  inventory  "  as  I  can  .  As  to  the  girls 
and  matrons  first,  of  course. 

The  Leksancl  women  wear  a  low-cut  shoe,  manufactured  out 
of  very  heavy  calfskin  or  cowhide  ;  some  have  a  birchbark 
layer  in  the  soles.  They  are  fastened  by  lacing  with  leather 
strings.  The  heel,  which  is  about  an  inch  long,  is  set  under 
the  middle  of  the  instep,  or  nearly  so  ;  tapering  from  the 
width  of  the  sole,  which  is  three  or  even  four  inches  wide,  to 
a  bottom  an  inch  in  diameter.  Sometimes  the  entire  bottom 
is  shod  with  iron — a  rim  around  the  front  like  a  horseshoe, 
and  a  full  metal  cover  or  plate  for  the  heel.  In  Summer,  how- 
ever, many  of  the  younger  ladies,  especially  those  that  go 
South  for  employment  during  the  warm  season,  discard  the 
iron  border  and  penny  heel-tap,  for  the  reason  of  comparative 
lightness  ;  adopting  a  shoe  that  is  made  exclusively  of  skin. 
This — let  it  be  noted — is  confessedly  on  account  of  the  appear- 
ance of  the  article. 

The  stockings  are  knit  of  coarse,  strong  woolen  yarn,  the 
hard  texture  of  which  is  declared  to  be  unendurable  by  some 
of  the  Swedish  peasants  who  live  in  a  lower  latitude.  The 
wool  is  dyed  a  flamingo  red,  before  it  is  spun,  in  some  in- 
stances; though  the  coloring  is  usually  delayed  until  after  the 
spinning  has  been  completed.  It  might  as  Avell  be  stated  here 
that  in  the  matter  of  bright  colors,  such  as  are  selected  for  the 
garments  of  this  peasantry,  the  Delecarlians  have  no  superiors 
as  dyers.  Brilliant  and  abiding  red  and  yellow  they  produce 
to  the  pitch  of  perfection.  The  stockings  are  very  thick,  as 
well  as  coarse  and  tough,  and  above  the  lacing  of  the  shoe  they 
have  a  flush  and  often  baggy  appearance — not  very  noticeable, 
perhaps,  except  upon  close  or  frequent  observation.  When 
the  stocking  is  not  pulled  or  stretched  as  tight  as  it  can  or 
ought  to  be,  it  will  not  look  neat  about  the  edge  of  the  leather; 
but  this  defect  is  rarely  permitted  to  be  seen. 

The  skirt  is  made  of  closeIy-wo\'en  material,  entirely  black, 
with  little  gathering  or  puckering  at  the  waist,  and  reaches  the 
ankle.  The  apron  is  made  of  woolen  cloth,  lighter  in  texture 
than  the  skirt,  and  covers  the  entire  front  of  the  skirt, 
except  that  it  does  not  fall  to  the  bottom  by  three  or  four 
inches.     It  is  colored  an  intense  canary  }ellow. 


DELECARLIA  SMEDJBACKEN  TO  LEKSAND.       149 

The  waist  is  generally  made  of  fine  home-spun  linen,  dif- 
fering according  to  the  taste  of  the  maker  or  wearer  in  thick- 
ness ;  sometimes  as  thin  as  muslin,  and  often  as  heavy  as  table- 
spreads  or  napkins.  The  body  is  about  as  full  as  a  gentleman's 
shirt,  fitting  close  to  the  neck.  The  sleeves  are  large,  but  not 
flowing  ;  being  gathered  on  the  wrist  by  a  band  that  fits  neatly, 
and  that  is  adorned  with  the  finest  style  of  needle-work  that 
the  owner  can  produce  by  her  own  skill  or  purchase  from 
others.  It  is  supposed  to  be  a  point  of  good  faith  that  the 
fancy  embroidery  on  this  part  of  the  costume  shall  be  speci- 
mens of  the  best  accomplishment  of  tlie  wearer  herself— her 
own  handiwork.  The  bosom,  collar  and  wristbands  are 
worthy  of  minute  examination,  for  there  the  Delecarlian  fami- 
lies display  consummate  art.  They  are  proverbially  and  justly 
proud  of  their  superiority  as  mistresses  of  the  needle. 

Over  this  white  garment  goes  a  skeleton  waist,  made  of  red 
woolen  cloth,  with  cotton  lining.  It  is  about  four  inches  wide 
at  the  girth,  at  the  bottom  of  which  is  a  roll  an  inch  in 
diameter,  over  which  the  skirt  is  fastened.  Of  the  same  ma- 
terials are  shoulder-straps,  of  ordinary  suspender  size  in  front, 
which  meet  close  up  under  the  neck  on  the  back  ;  there  being 
from  that  point  to  the  jvmction  a  double  width,  down  to  the 
top  of  the  crimson  band.  At  first  sight  it  looks  as  though  the 
white  and  red  garments  were  one,  but  in  point  of  fact  the  latter 
is  a  sort  of  open  jacket.  This  outer  woolen  waist  or  "  vest " 
is  fastened  around  the  body  by  lacing  ;  there  being  four  orna- 
mental eyelets  for  the  tape  or  strings  of  braided  ribbons  that 
cross  and  checker  and  bind  immediately  in  front.  Thisjacket 
is  also  variously  and  handsomely  ornamented  with  stripes  of 
worsted  seams. 

The  cap  is  the  article  that  distinguishes  the  married  from 
the  unmarried  ;  the  difference  being  that  the  matrons  wear  a 
close  head-cover  that  is  entirely  white.  There  is  no  dif- 
ference in  the  pattern.  The  hair  is  done  up  in  flat  braids  or 
plaitings,  and  so  laid  upon  the  head  that  there  shall  be  no 
noticeable  protrusion  or  nob  at  any  point.  The  cap  is  skull- 
close  on  the  forehead  and  down  the  temple  and  around  to  the 
back  of  the  neck.  'I'here  is  the  same  round  puff  on  the 
crown,  pitching  back  at  an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees,  that  our 


15° 


NOR  THERN  E  UROPE. 


own  grandmothers  exhibited  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago. 
Indeed,  save  in  the  character  of  the  material  and  the  adorn- 
ment, a  description  of  the  form  of  the  one  would  nearly 
nearly  answer  for  the  other.  The  ground -work  of  the  maid- 
en's cap  is  usually  of  a  creamy  white  ;  and  the  rich  and  often 
beautiful  figures,  wrought  in  needlework  or  painted  in  dyes, 
are  displayed  on  the  flat  surfaces  and  streak  up  on  the  saucer- 
cover  from  behind. 

The  dress  of  the  Leksand  District  yoeman  consists  of  a  long 
coat — heavy,  very  short-waisted,  made  of  dark  woolen  stuff  ; 
having  a  red  cord  edge,  and  fastened  with  hooks  and  eyes. 
Their  vest  is  of  similar  but  lighter  fabric.  They  wear  knee- 
breeches  of  buckskin  or  corduroy  or  (sometimes)  strong 
satinet.  Their  stockings  are  knit  of  Avhite  yarn,  although  to 
the  uninformed  observer  they  appear  to  be  made  of  felt.  They 
are  carded  on  the  outside  after  they  are  knit,  which  gives  them 
a  hairv-looking  exterior.  Over  this  stocking  the  knee-breeches 
are  buckled  ;  and  from  a  band  on  the  end  of  the  breeches  red 
and  black  tassels  are  suspended  by  long  strings — the  end  of 
the  tassels  sometimes  reaching  down  as  far  as  the  top  of  the 
ankles.  For  foot  covering,  these  mighty  men  of  Delecarlia 
have  a  shoe  made  of  cowhide  uppers  with  soles  fully  an  inch 
thick  and  composed  in  great  part  of  birch  bark.  They  wear 
a  broad-brimmed  black  felt  hat. 

The  men  of  Mora  are  simihirly  attired,  except  that  they 
wear  roundabouts  or  jackets,  and  huge  leather  aprons  which 
cover  their  person  in  tront  and  on  either  side  from  the  neck 
to  the  shins. 

The  dress  of  the  females  in  the  Mora  District  differs  from 
that  of  the  Leksand  natives  with  respect  to  the  skirt  and 
ai)ron  and  the  covering  for  the  head.  Instead  of  a  cap  they 
usually  wear  a  handkerchief  at  a  three-cornered  tie.  Their 
skirt  and  apron  are  of  black  woolen  goods,  precisely  like 
that  of  their  Leksand  neighbors  in  quality  ;  but  instead  of 
the  yellow  apron  there  is  a  bordering  of  two  stripes  running 
around  the  bottom  of  that  arlicle,  of  dark-red  or  yellow 
color.  Sometimes  this  adornment  is  also  placed  near  the 
end  of  the  skirt. 

Having  digressed   so  much    to  describe  the  costumes  of 


DELECARLIA  SMEDJBACKEN  TO  LEKSAND.       i^i 

these  people,  I  return  to  my  post — pillar,  I  might  say — ia 
the  gallery  of  the  kyrka  at  Leksand. 

The  ])riest  is  dressed  in  a  long  frock  coat,  and  wears  be- 
hind him  a  long  plaited,  trailing  strip  of  black  cloth,  as  wide 
as  the  space  between  his  shoulders,  fastened  in  front  by  a 
buckle  on  the  neck-circling  ribbon  or  band.  The  gorgeous 
garments  which  we  had  seen  in  the  ante-room  are  only  worn 
on  special  occasions,  duly  prescribed  in  the  calendar.  Here 
the  same  man  officiated  at  the  altar  and  in  the  pulpit.  He 
preached  from  the  text,  "  Make  to  yourselves  friends  of  the 
mammon  of  unrighteousness."  The  matter  of  the  discourse 
was  most  excellent.  The  delivery  might  have  been  worse, 
but  in  what  respect  we  cannot  exactly  say.  It  was  a  monoton- 
ous whine  from  beginning  to  end.  It  may  be  said  that  he 
did  not  deliver  his  sermon  at  all:  he  sniveled  it  out.  The 
same  composition  uttered  by  a  good  elocutionist  would  have 
been  very  effective.  We  wished,  for  the  sake  of  the  audience, 
including  ourselves,  and  for  the  sake  of  the  cause,  that  the 
young  man  who  stood  and  spoke  at  the  grave  of  his  sister  at 
Smedjbacken,  a  few  hours  before,  had  had  tliat  manuscript 
on  this  occasion,  and  in  this  place,  for  a  pulpit  ministration. 

We  are  satisfied  that  we  do  not  write  from  any  personal 
prejudice  or  unfair  judgment ;  for  the  two  lads  that  sat 
behind  us,  and  who  had  made  merry  at  our  awkward  jjredic- 
ament  and  manner  of  escape  therefrom,  and  who  had  joined 
in  the  singing  heartily,  went  to  sleep,  with  their  two  heads 
laid  at  roof  angle  against  each  other,  directly  after  the 
preacher  began  to  talk  or  to  cry  !  and  another  individual,  a 
man  of  middle  age,  who  had  looked  at  me  with  a  severe  and 
reproving  aspect — as  I  thought — because  my  attention  was 
not  riveted  on  the  prayer  and  hymn-book,  also  fell  asleep, 
and  once  or  twice  nearly  toppled  over  the  railing  in  front  of 
him,  on  which  he  had  lain  his  head.  I  had  been  conscience- 
struck  by  that  man's  accusing  glance  I  had,  perhaps,  mis- 
judged that  man.  I  drag  him  in  here  now,  and  compel  him 
to  be  a  witness  to  the  estimate  which  I  make  of  the  char- 
acter of  the  pulpit  work  of  the  assistant  rector  of  St.  Peter's 
and  St.  Paul's  Kyrka  at  Leksand. 

The  organ  had  a  most  unpromising  exterior  ;  but,  though 


152  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

it  was  apparently  very  unskillfully  built,  it  gave  no  uncertain 
sound  and  was  melodious  in  all  its  pipes.  Each  line  of  each 
hymn  was  sung  with  a  most  marked  isolation,  and  where  the 
sentiment  did  not  separately  stand  according  to  this  division, 
I  could  not  resist  a  sense  of  the  ludicrous  in  the  perform- 
ance. After  the  church  services  were  over,  we  met  the  man 
who  answered  our  cemetery  inquirv,  and  asked  him  why 
they  didn't  sing  their  verses  as  they  buried  their  dead.  He 
didn't  understand  what  we  meant,  and  it  might  have  been 
difficult  or  unsafe  to  explain. 

I  should  mention  that  for  the  final  ceremonies  in  the 
church,  for  the  morning  service,  the  organist  and  the  sing- 
ers who  were  in  the  organ  loft  sang  with  an  accompaniment 
in  our  modern  style  a  hymn  of  consoling  import,  to  the  tune 
of  Old  Dundee.  How  refreshing  and  grandly  it  rolled  out 
amid  those  ancient  and  elephantine  arches  ! 


XIV. 

LEKSAND  TO  MORA. 

Mora  is  at  the  head  of  Lake  Siljan;  or  rather  at  the 
head  of  a  small  bay  with  which  the  great  lake  proper  ter- 
minates at  its  Northern  extremity.  Formerly  vessels  passed 
around  the  Southern  or  Southeastern  end  of  the  town  and 
landed  at  the  bank  of  the  main  feeding  stream;  but  a  chan- 
nel has  been  cut  through  the  shallows  that  divide  the  bay  or 
harbor  from  the  lake.  The  steamer  Gustaf  Wasa  now  goes 
to  a  wharf  that  extends  out  about  a  hundred  feet  from  the 
line  of  the  street  that  runs  parallel  with  the  water,  immedi- 
ately in  front  of  the  most  thickly  settled  part  of  the  village. 
About  two  hundred  yards  from  the  wharf  is  a  church, 
which  stands  on  a  slight  elevation,  and  from  its  doorways 
an  extended  view  can  be  had  to  the  North  and  to  the  North- 
east. 


LEKSAND   TO  MORA. 


153 


There  are  a  number  of  Bys  (pronounced  bees,)  which  is 
the  name  of  hamlets  or  small  clusters  of  farmhouses,  on 
each  side  of  the  town— if  you  chose  to  take  Mora  by  that 
title— and  on  a  solitary  walk  of  observation  among  them  I 
started  early  on  the  morning  after  our  arrival  there.  Along 
the  street  that  led  back  from  the  harbor  directly  to  the  East, 
or  nearly  so,  I  took  my  winding  way.  It  is  a  circuitous,  nar- 
row passage,  between  low  log  houses,  very  few  of  which  were 


MORA. 


painted  red  or  any  other  color.  As  you  increase  your  dis- 
tance into  Delecarlia  on  this  route,  you  see  fewer  buildings 
that  are  painted,  until  you  come  to  villages  that  are  like 
Mora — where  the  plain  hue  of  the  timber  is  rarely  changed 
by  the  brush.  And  after  the  familiarity  you  have  had  with 
the  bright  glaring  scarlet  of  the  houses  below  the  line  of  this 
District,  these  more  Northern  towns,  and  the  dwellings 
around  them,  have  a  shabby  appearance. 

Through  this  by  I  was  passing,  with  a  curious  peering  into 


154 


NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


lakes  and  courtyards,  when  I  met  face  to  face  and  alone, 
another  solitary  v/alker.  He  was  a  full-grown  specimen  of 
the  Mora  peasant,  with  an  apron  of  such  dimensions  as  to 
fairly  push  out  beyond  the  sides  of  his  jacket.  Hanging  in 
his  belt,  in  front,  was  a  sailor's  knife,  in  an  ornamented 
sheath.  He  had  a  surly  aspect,  and  stared  at  me  at  first 
Avith  that  aforementioned,  "What  are  you  doing  here?"  kind 
of  a  look,  that,  under  the  circumstances  was  not  altogether 
pleasant  to  encounter.  However,  he  was  apparently  molli- 
fied on  near  approach.  If  he  nias  really  scowling  when  he 
caught  sight  of  me — or  whatever  the  fact  in  that  respect 
may  have  been — while  the  mist  still  had  an  obscuring  effect 
on  his  outlines,  I  was  rejoiced  to  notice  that  he  smiled, 
and  presently  be  snatched  his  hat  from  his  head  and  saluted, 
"God  dag-  -dag."  As  I  returned  his  greeting  in  my  best 
style,  I  felt  that  some  one  inside  of  me  was  saying  or  sing- 
ing the  adapted  rhyme  of  the  first  edition  of  "Mother 
Goose,"  with  which  I  became  acquainted: 

Early  on  one  Wednesday  morning. 

When  foggy  was  the  weather, 
I  met  an  old  man  all  clotlied  in  leather. 
He  began  to  laugh,  and  I  began  to  grin; 

How  do  you  do?  and  how  do  you  do? 
And  how  do  you  do,  again? 

Here  I  was  joined  by  a  companion,  who  came  up  to 
where  we  were  standijig  and  at  once  took  part  in  the  conver- 
sation. For  the  sake  of  separation  we  will  take  the  report- 
er's divisions,  whether  the  sentence  is  in  fact  interrogatory  or 
not: 

Question — How  is  the  weather  for  your  harvests?  Ans- 
wer— It  cannot  be  told  yet.  Our  rot  day  was  rainy,  but  it 
does  not  always  turn  out  as  it  once  did — a  rainy  month 
following.  There  is  time  enough  yet  to  ruin  the  greater 
portion  of  the  rye. 

Q. — To  absolutely  ruin  it?  A. — Well,  to  make  it  very 
watery  and  light,  besides  the  damage  in  breaking  down. 

Q. — When  I  was  below  I  heard  it  said  that  you  could  not 
raise  rye  up  here,  but  I  see  that  the  finest  looking  grain  is  in 


'LEK3AXD   TO  MORA.  l^e 

this  section.      A. — O,  when  \vc  have  a  good  season  our  rye  is  as 
excellent  as  there  is  in  the  world. 

Q. — You  have  not  taken  your  trimmings  down  from  your  mid- 
summer poles?  A. — Nay  ;  we  let  them  stay  until  they  drop  off 
before  August. 

Q. — Arc  there  many  of  your  neighbors  thinking  of  going  to 
America  this  year  ?     A. — Are  you  from  America.? 

Q. — Yay  ;  from  San  Francisco,  California.  A. — You  don't 
say  so  1  [with  a  sharp,  long  stare  and  a  brushing  back  of  the 
apron  behind  the  coat  or  jacket]  ;  that  is  a  terrible  distance — 
all  the  way  to  America  ! 

Q. — But  is  it  as  far  from  New  York  to  California  as  from 
Liverpool  to  New  York  [determined  to  dwell  on  this  evidently 
weak  point  of  his  wonder].  A. — Shoo  !  you  don't  say  so.  My 
boy  has  thought  of  going,  but  it  is  too  far !  [This  worthy 
peasant  looked  2i\\^y  a  few  thousand  miles  as  he  slowly  repeated 
this  exclamation.]     Is  it  really  a  good  country? 

Q. — In  what  respect  do  you  ask?  A. — Are  the  people 
moral  ?     Have  they  schools  ? 

Q, — We  have  more  churches  and  schools  than  you  have  in 
Sweden,  so  fer  as  that  goes.  A. — Buildings  don't  make  Chris- 
tians ? 

Q. — I  was  going  to  say  something  like  that  myself.  They 
don't  necessarily  make  people  or  a  majority  of  the  people 
moral, — of  course  not.    A. — I3ut  California  is  a  very  bad  place. 

Q. — I  am  sorry  that  we  have  that  sort  of  a  reputation  ;  if  we 
do  have  it  in  this  vicmity?  [This  was  adopting  a  favorite 
Swedish  fashion  of  doubling  the  same  sentence  : — regrets  and 
inquiry  in  the  same  breath.]  A. — O,  you  kill  good  China  peo- 
ple on  the  streets. 

Q. — Who  told  you  that?     A. — I  know  it.     I  read  it  myself. 

Q. — Do  you  believe  all  you  read?  A. — My  paper  always 
speaks  the  truth  ;  that  I  know. 

Q. — Its  character  and  your  faith  are  remarkable  ;  but  if  your 
paper  stated  that  wc  are  in  the  habit  of  killing  innocent  China- 
men as  a  matter  of  common  occurrence  on  the  streets  in  Cali- 
fornia, your  paper  stated  what  was  not  the  truth.  A. — It  was 
a  translation  from  some  of  your  own  papers.  My  paper  states 
that  every  immigrant  must  huve  ninety  kroners  [about  I25] 


1^6  NORTHERN  EUROPE, 

when  he  lands  in  Castle  Garden,  New  York,  in  order  to  get  to 
a  place  where  he  can  find  employment. 

Q. — As  a  general  statement,  that  is  entirely  untrue.  I  was 
in  Castle  Garden  myself  a  few  days  before  I  sailed  from  Amer- 
ica, and  I  know  that  Swedish  servants  of  all  classes  were  then 
in  demand.  I  talked  with  the  matron  in  charge  of  the  female 
department  on  this  very  subject.  Forty-nine  thousand  Swedes 
emigrated  to  the  United  States  last  year.  A  great  many 
Swedes — say  as  many  as  10,000 — are  going  to  the  territory  of 
Montana  this  year ;  and  to  reach  that  place  there  is  a  high 
rate — higgler  than  there  ought  to  be — for  car  fare.  From  New 
York  to  Montana  is  over  two  thousand  miles.  A. — Is  that  so.^ 
[repeated  many  times;  breathing  hard  through  a  puckered 
mouth,  between  exclamations  ;  and  brushihg  back  that  enor- 
mous apron  with  a  vigorous  dashing  around  of  the  hands  every 
time  the  sentence  was  finished.] 

Q. — I  have  just  received  a  letter  stating  that  the  writer,  who 
is  a  wealthy  lady  living  in  Philadelphia,  will  pay  the  passage  oi 
a  good  Swedish  servant ;  wishing  me  to  leave  her  address  with 
the  proper  officer  or  person  in  Stockholm  or  Gothenburg  for 
this  purpose.  [I  knew  this  would  be  surprising  intelligence  to 
this  man,  simple  as  the  statement  may  seem  to  my  American 
reader.]    A. — Why  so  ? 

Q.  — Such  is  the  fact.  Swedish  servants  have  a  iiigh  reputa- 
tion in  America.  And  I  think  the  same  may  be  said  of  Swedish 
farmers  and  mechanics.  I  am  not  here  as  an  emigrant  agent, 
and  can  have  no  possible  motive  to  induce  emigration  by  ex- 
agerated  accounts  of  the  advantag  s  my  country  presents  to 
the  laboring  man.  A.  — Come  to  my  house  ;  I  want  to  hear 
you  folks  talk  in  the  presence  of  my  wife  and  children. 

We  went  back  to  the  upper  part  of  the  village  of  Mora — as 
near  as  I  can  designate  it — to  a  settlement  separated  from  the 
main  cluster  by  a  field  one  hundred  and  fifty  rods  wide.  At  a 
gesture  of  invitation  or  command,  we  glanced,  with  our  new- 
found friend  through  a  cottage  window  into  a  house  of  mourn- 
ing— where  an  infant  was  lying  in  its  grave  clothes.  We 
entered  a  dwelling  of  two  rooms — a  house  situated  in  a  yard 
surrounded  by  houses  set  at  various  angles  ;  one  amongadozen, 
I  think.       The  wife  was  cooking  at  the  fireplace  at  the  black- 


LEKSAXD   TO  MORA. 


157 


smith-forge  stand,  as  we  best  can  describe  it.  She  was  aided  by 
a  daughter  of  seventeen  years — [this  fact  of  age  afterwarti 
appeared] — who  had  the  cap  of  the  district,  but  otherwise  was 


n 
o 

H 
H 
> 
O 
W 

(/) 

o 
PJ 

W 


w 

w 
o 
> 


dressed  very  much  as  our  own  people  of  similar  age  and  occu- 
pation. Two  children,  aged  respectively  eight  and  ten,  sat  on 
the  bed,  that  had  been  pushed  into  its  day  dimensions  and 
covered  with  a  calico  spread. 


1 5  8  ^OR  THERN  E  UROPE. 

The  Moran — Here  are  Americans,  from  San  Francisco,  Cali- 
fornia, 

The  Chorus — O,  welcome,  welcome  !  sit  one  of  you  down 
on  the  chair. 

Now,  the  chair  was  a  Boston  rocking-chair — a  chair  after  our 
forefathers'  pattern,  and  somewhat  higher  than  wc  were  accus- 
tomed to  in  our  early  days, — only  differing  in  the  one  respect 
mentioned.  My  companion  took  the  proffered  seat.  We 
observed,  meanwhile,  that  the  food  that  was  being  prepared  was 
made  out  of  rye  and  water,  with  a  little  milk  and  salt  con- 
tribution. The  contents  of  the  pot  on  that  fire  were  being 
stirred  with  a  little  birch -twig  broom,  and  the  daughter  took 
the  mother's  place  in  I  his  duly  as  we  sat  down. 

Stranger — I  have  often  heard  it  said  that  you  had  no  rock- 
ing-chairs in  Sweden.  I  have  read  that  statement  in  one  of 
our  newspapers.  Now  you  see  \\o\f  you  are  misrepresented  by 
our  press. 

Moran — Not  so.  Rocking-chairs  are  a  modern  introduc- 
tion.    I  remember  when  we  didn't  know  of  any  such  thing. 

Stranger — But  you  have  always  had  cradles  ? 

Moran — There  is  one  in  which  I  was  put  to  sleep  myself 
when  I  was  a  baby.  [He  is  now  54  years  old.]  This  man 
says  that  America  is  a  good  country,  and  that  California  is 
very  good,  too.     I  want  you  to  hear  him  talk. 

Stranger — I  am  ashamed  to  attempt  to  speak  very  much  be- 
fore such  an  audience.  [By  the  by,  two  neighbors — middle-aged 
women — had  come  in  and  taken  positions  near  the  door,  evi- 
dently as  summoned  spectators  and  listeners.]  I  will  leave  my 
companion  here  to  talk  to  you. 

We  did  our  best  to  present  the  United  States  of  America  in 
as  bright  a  light  as  we  could,  having  due  regard  to  the  respon- 
sibility of  our  speech  under  such  circumstances.  We 
had  the  most  attentive,  the  most  considerate,  the  most  eager 
audience  that  we  ever  possessed.  We  told  of  the  scenes  we 
had  witnessed  in  Castle  Garden,  New  York  ;  told  what 
we  had  learned  respecting  the  steamer  Hues  to  America  ;  gave 
the  general  geographical  outlines  of  our  nation,  and,  of  course 
mentioned  the  fact  that  California  was  the  paradise  of  the 
world.     As  we  got  no  hint  to  stop  from  our  auditors,  we  cut 


LEKSAND  TO  MORA.  .  j^o 

our  speech  short  off  and  rose  to  go,   when  the  daughter  fur- 
nished us  with  coffee. 

I  am  conscious  of  having  too  long  delayed  a  special,  if  not 
an  extended  reference  to  this  truly  national  beverage  of  Sweden. 
There  are  points  with  respect  to  it  that  I  have  not  seen  men- 
itoned  anywhere,  that  deserve  notice.  In  the  first  place,  let 
us  agree  that  it  is  a  most  singular  fact  that  the  best  cup  of 
coffee  in  the  world  is  prepared  in  Scandinavia.  The  far 
North  takes  the  tropical  berry  and  converts  it  into  the  most 
delicious  non-intoxicant  table  drink  that  civilization  has  yet 
produced.  Its  use  is  so  frequent  and  liberal  here  as  to  be 
rightly  termed  a  beverage.  And  in  speaking  of  its  superior 
excellence  I  do  not — of  course  I  do  not— rely  on  my  own 
limited  personal  knowledge  ;  but  many  men  and  women  from 
among  those  most  competent  to  judge,  v/ho  have  traveled 
through  the  Oriental  countries,  have  joined  in  this  verdict  or 
award,  in  conversations  where  I  have  recently  been  a  partici- 
pant or  listener. 

And,  parenthetically,  I  would  like  to  mention  that  next  to 
the  diabolical  decoction  that  is  furnished  forth  in  London  in 
many  so-called  first-class  restaurants  under  the  name  of  tea — 
to  which  I  think  I  have  made  a  slight  reference  hereinbefore — 
next,  as  perhaps  properly  it  should  be,  on  the  score  of  atrocity, 
is  the  mixture  denominated  coffee. 

Tell  it  not  in  Stockholm,  and  publish  it  not  in  the  villages  of 
Delecarlia  ;  but  the  truth  is  '.hat  the  coffee  as  well  as  the  tea 
set  out  in  London,  from  the  tables  of  the  Grand  Hotel  to  the 
arbors  that  border  on  Kew  Garden,  is  oftentimes  merelv — 
well,  enigmatical.  [That  enigmatical  is  a  good  word,  in  this 
connection,  I  solemnly  submit  to  former  and  future  travelers  : 
and  it  saves  violence  of  expression.]  Well,  to  put  this  com- 
parison to  one  side  and  come  to  the  question  of  How  it  is 
thus  ? 

I  have  catechised  on  this  subject,  as  in  duty  bound  ;  not 
only  in  the  regions  below,  but  in  the  very  spot  where  I  am  sit- 
ting at  this  writing.  I  have  not  been  neglectful  of  my  privi- 
leges and  obligations  in  this  respect.  I  have  told  the  man's 
household  about  it,  and  laid  the  matter  with  my  most  per- 


1 60  ^OR  THERN  E  UROPE. 

suasive  speech — would  it  were  more  seductive  on  such  a  mis- 
sion— before  the  old  man's  daughter. 

A  Swedish  coffee-house  in  San  Francisco,  [and  why  not  in 
New  York?]  with  Delecarlian  maids  in  costum.e  for  waiters, 
would  prove  a  success.  That  is,  a  real,  genuine,  no-mistake 
Scandinavian  Java  service  restaurant.  And,  of  course,  the 
same  might  be  said  of  other  large  American  cities — inclusive 
of  our  national  capital.  And,  by  the  way,  why  Avas  there  not  a 
Swedish  cafe  cottage  at  the  Centennial  Exhibition,  as  well  as 
a  Swedish  schoolhouse  ? 

But  why  this  actual  superiority  in  the  quality  of  the  prepara- 
tion ?  Whv  this  luscious  and,  at  the  same  time,  not  nerve- 
shattering  fluid  out  of  the  same  berry  that  is  the  presumed 
basis  for  a  drink  that  goes  by  the  same  name  in  other  and 
warmer  climates  ?  There  is  the  usual  explanation  on  the 
ground  of  adulteration,  of  course  ;  but  that  is  not  sufficient. 
That  will  not  answer  where  the  berry  is  taken  from  the  bag 
and  roasted  and  crushed  in  the  same  kitchen,  so  that  there  can 
be  no  mistake  as  to  the  purity.  I  have  replies  from  a  number 
of  intelligent  Swedish  ladies  of  blood  roval,  and  from  some 
peasant  women  at  whose  firesides  we  sat;  each  and  all  to  the 
same  effect  and  comprehending  like  reasons.  Some  of  the 
reasons — and  I  need  not  detail  them  all — may  excite  a  smile  ; 
but  I  believe  that  each  one  should  be  considered  with  respect. 

A  cause  of  this  effect  and  defect  here  spoken  of,  is  given  in 
behalf  of  the  copper  kettle  in  which  these  people  almost  in- 
variably boil  their  pulverized  berry.  Then  I  have  brought  in 
another  cause  and  suggestion  in  the  last  adjective  :  go  back- 
ward for  explanations  and  reasons.  It  is  fresh  roasted  and 
fresh  from  the  hand-mill.  And  with  respect  to  the  roasting, 
there  is  a  precise  art.  The  beautiful  berry  is  rebellious  on 
rough  or  cruel  or  inartistic  treatment  while  in  the  oven  ;  it 
must  there  and  then  be  looked  after  and  treated  with  delicate 
and  distinguished  consideration ;  it  must  be  heated  and 
browned  to  a  crispy  turn — not  burned.  O,  how  some  of  this 
Swedish  nobility  do  rise  from  their  cushions  and  protest  against 
the  manner  in  which  this  great  gift  to  humanity  is  ill-used  by 
the  slovenly,  ignorant  creatures  of  every^vhere  else  ;  who  in 
private  service  or  big  manufacturing  establishments  do  abuse 


LEKSAND    TO  MORA.  i6i 

and  murder  this  queen  product  of  the  tropics  !  With  Avhat 
commendable  faithfulness  and  jealousy  the  red-capped  maiden 
that  we  spy  through  the  window  of  an  adjoining  cottage  is  even 
now  shaking  the  little  roaster  over  the  coals.  Can,  pan  and 
pot  are  kept  as  closely  sealed  as  possible,  and  the  aroma  is 
husbanded  to  the  uttermost. 

Then  some  stress  is  laid  on  the  excellence  of  the  water  that 
is  to  be  used  in  the  preparation  ;  and  a  Swedish  lady  who  has 
lived  abroad  many  years  told  of  her  failure  to  get  anything  like 
satisfactory  results  in  the  United  States  until  she  had  procured 
a  filter  jar  and  changed  the  high-priced  liquid  that  went  by  the 
name  of  water  in  the  Atlantic  city  where  she  resided  into 
something  approaching  the  Adam's  ale  of  her  native  land.  I 
was  particularly  charmed  with  this  lady,  I  would  like  to  men- 
tion, because  she  answered  an  impudent  fellow  who  was  in- 
troduced to  the  company  we  were  in  at  one  time,  when  he  de- 
clared that  he  had  tasted  as  good  coffee  in  Great  Britain  as 
ever  was  brewed  in  Scandinavia,  with  a  remarkable  smile — 
nothing  more.  She  just  folded  her  arms  and  smiled  most  sig- 
nificantly, in  a  manner  both  contemptuous  and  commiserating, 
yet  entirely  lady-like  withal.     Blessings  on  her  head. 

Regular  hours  for  coflee  are  immediately  after  you  rise  in  the 
morning,  and  between  2  and  5  p.  m.  But  hospitality  is  liable 
to  show  itself  at  any  time  of  the  day  when  you  chance  to  call, 
in  the  proffer  of  this  delicious  cup. 

You  may  challenge  the  judgment  and  comparison  herein 
published,  with  suspicion  that  experience  and  trials  have  been 
limited  elsewhere  or  confined  to  the  humbler  class  of  inns  or 
catering  establishments  ;  but  you  will  accept  this  statement  in 
its  sweep  and  import-force — the  statement  that  you  will  find  no 
better  prepared  coffee  anywhere  on  the  lines  in  this  country 
which  we  have  traveled  ;  some  better  than  others,  but  none 
that  is  not  good  and  worthy  of  the  title  of  excellent. 

And  now  here,  in  this  lowly  habitation,  in  this  little  By  of 
the  Mora  parish,  there  is  served  up  to  our  welcome  and  enter- 
tainment, not  a  muddy  solution  of  sassafras,  chickory  and 
licorice — such  as  we  have  tried  to  drink  at  a  six-course  din- 
ner, as  a  guest,  in  all  obligations  of  hospitality  bound,  in  one 
of  the  great  dining-rooms  in  London,   where  everything  else 


[62 


NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


set  forth  for  the  taste  was  very  nice; — nor  yet  the  fair  to  mid- 
dUng  and  undoubtedly  pure  article  that  we  get  at  our  San 
Francisco  lunch-houses:  but  a  nectar  for  the  gods  ! 

Query — What  did  these  people  do  before  the  discovery  of 
coffee  and  potatoes  as  articles  for  drink  and  meat  preparation  ? 
Ans. — They  did  as  the  Romans  did — had  for  before-dis- 
covered substitutes  barley  water  and  onions. 


MORA-KULLA. 

Returning  to  our  examination  : 

Question — How  is  it  that  your  daughter  is  not  in  the 
South,  as  many  of  your  young  women  are  ?  In  employment 
for  the  summer  months  with  the  people  of  Stockholrn  and 
vicinity  ?  Answer — We  have  two  daughters  at  service  in  the 
Southern  counties.  We  could  not  spare  Minnie  this  season. 
Mamma  is  getting  old— too  old  to  do  all  the   housework  ; 


LEKSAND  TO  MORA. 


163 


though,  of  course,  she  don't  have  as  much  to  do  as  she  did 
before  the  most  of  the  children  were  grown  up.  You  should 
have  seen  us  when  we  had  five  babies,  and  the  oldest  only 
five  years  of  age, 

Q.  Yes,  I  should  liked  to  have  called  on  you  then. 
Mamma  must  have  been  busy  about  tliose  days  ?  A.  It  was 
spring,  spring,  spring,  with  mamma  then.  | '"  Spring"  means 
run  ;  but  run  don't  give  the  exact  emphasis.  Spring  is  the 
word."] 

We  did  not  doubt  the  last  statement,  and  said  so  ;  and  bid- 
ding our  entertainers  a  temporary  farewell — adieu  !  adieu  ! 
we  hastened  to  meet  the  members  of  our  company  who  had 
appointed  to  visit  the  Mora  church  at  the  hour  that  was  now 
being  struck  on  the  tower  bell.  Mr.  B.  V.  Nordstedt  of 
Falun  appeared  at  the  cafe  with  the  keys  of  the  sacred 
edifice  ;  three  on  the  string,  and  either  one  as  big  as  a  San 
Francisco  policeman's  club.     Iron  is  cheap  in  Sweden. 

Before  entering  we  should  itemize  the  tower.  It  is  two 
hundred  feet  high.  It  is  a  square  brick  structure  for  the  dis- 
tance of  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet.  Under  the  clock 
there  is  a  sign  reading  :  "  Guida  till  ara  hafver  kung  carl  xi 
ar  1673,  latit  byggia  detta  toru." 

The  clock  is  the  handiwork  of  the  Delecarlians  of  this 
neighborhood,  who  manufactured  and  presented  it  to  the 
authorities  a  few  years  ago.  As  clock  manufacturers  the  De- 
lecarlians are  the  rivals  of  the  Connecticut  Yankees  ;  or  have 
been  such  until  recently.  I  believe  it  was  rather  of  an  afflic- 
tion, when  it  was  stated  at  the  cottage  to  which  I  have  just 
referred,  that  the  landlady  at  our  inn  had  a  New  Haven  time- 
piece. But  it  is  claimed  that  the  home-made  clocks  are  more 
durable  than  ours  ;  which  was  denied  by  us,  of  course.  The 
Delecarlians  put  only  one  pointer — an  hour  hand — on  their 
tower  clocks. 

The  church  is  cruciform  in  character,  as  are  most  build- 
ings of  this  kind  in  this  country.  It  will  seat  over  2,000..  Our 
friend,  Nordstedt,  used  the  equivalent  to  our  phrase  "com- 
fortably seat,"  etc.,  in  speaking  about  this  church's  accommo- 
dations.    But  I  knew  better,  and  I  had  the  "  courage  of  my 


164 


NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


convictions  "  adequate  to  sustain  me  in  very  politely  but 
distinctly  saying  as  much. 

Above  the  altar  is  a  painting  of  tl)e  crucifixion.  On  one 
side  of  this  painting  is  a  large  gilded  cross  ;  on  the  other  side 
is  an  anchor,  leaned  upon  by  effigies.  At  one  side  of  the 
chancel  is  a  very  ancient  picture  of  the  baptism  of  Christ  by 
John.  Immediately  over  the  altar,  and  under  the  painting,  is 
a  medallion  representation  of  The  Last  Supper.  On  the  altar 
is  a  cross  and  four  candlesticks.  Portraits,  (supposed  to  be)  of 
former  kings  and  queens — a  dozen  of  them,  I  think — are  on 
the  walls  on  the  inside  of  the  choir  end  of  the  building.  In 
the  closets  in  the  sacristry  there  are  a  score  of  highly  orna- 
mented robes  and  crowns.  In  England  or  the  United  States 
the  interior  of  this  edifice,  like  that  of  most  of  those  we  have 
entered  in  this  country,  would  at  once  impress  the  visitor  with 
the  belief  that  he  was  within  the  walls  of  a  Roman  Catholic 
church.  Not  until  he  observed  the  absence  from  the  altar  of 
the  receptacle  for  the  communion  bread,  and  remarked — as  he 
probably  would  very  soon — the  sexton  or  verger  walking  around 
with  his  hat  on,  would  he  suspect  otherwise — under  like 
appearances  in  any  other  land. 

The  altar  cloth  was  made  in  1794.  There  a^e  seats  around 
the  chancel  for  the  comministrars.  Denis  Borg  was  a  warden, 
appointed  in  1880.      So  reads  the  record   on  the  wall. 

A  list  of  the  pastors  in  this  church  is  painted  on  the  panels 
of  the  first  of  the  five  galleries  that  face  the  altar.  The  other 
panels,  sixty-one  in  number,  contain  cabinet  paintings,  sup- 
posed to  be  illustrative  of  Scripture.  Some  are  horribly  gro- 
tesque. For  instance,  one  represents  Christ  as  a  little  child 
standing  on  a  table  or  pedestal,  with  the  blood  spurting  out  of 
the  centre  of  his  breast.  A  couple  of  miserable-looking  crea- 
tures, somewhat  after  the  similitude  of  men,  are  catching  this 
blood  in  a  large  bowl.  There  were  other  representations  that 
were,  if  anything,  more  shocking  than  this,  which  I  would  not 
venture  to  describe  here. 

Matthias  Laurentia  was  pastor  of  this  church  in  1372  ;  and 
the  grave-digger,  whom  we  afterward  met  and  conversed  with 
in  the  yard,  said  that  he  was  a  very  good  pastor  for  his  day. 
When  I  inquired  how  he  knew,  he  bluntly  smiled  at  me  and 


LEKSAND   TO  MORA.  165 

said  :  "  Yes,  of  course  it  must  be  so,  or  his  name  would  not 
be  on  the  roll."  I  afterwards  had  the  question  put  to  him  by  a 
friend  from  Borlange,  and  the  reply  was  the  same. 

Immediately  in  front  of  the  altar  is  a  stone  slab  dated  1759. 
On  it,  among  much  engraving,  were  these  words  :  "  Magister 
Peter  WoUenius.      Here  He  the  tired  bones." 

The  pews  are  raised  above  the  stone  floor,  as  noted  in  the 
Leksand  and  other  ancient  churches.  The  pulpit  is  of  the 
wine-cup  pattern  that  is  seen  in  every  church  in  Sweden  ;  with 
sounding-board  and  hour-glasses,  and  furnished  with  a  Bible 
dated  1708  and  a  prayer-book  published  in  1845.  There  are 
six  panels  on  the  pulpit,  with  very  much  gilded  representations 
of  passages  in  the  life  of  Chrtst.  Christ  Talking  With  Nicode- 
mus  at  Night  and  Christ  Talking  to  the  Samaritan  Woman 
at  the  Well,  are  uniformly  seen  in  surh  panels,  where  there  is 
any  medallion  work  at  all.  In  this  instance  Nicodemus  and 
the  Samaritan  woman  were  hideous  enough  to  satisfy  the 
malevolence  of  any  enemy  of  their  respective  tribes.  There 
are  seven  gilded  cherubs  under  the  pulpit,  and  some  of  them 
appeared  to  me  to  have  an  irreverent  giggle  on  their  counte- 
nances. 

There  are  four  entrances  to  the  church  ;  three  of  double 
doors,  ten  feet  in  width.  Last  Sunday  the  building  was  densely 
packed,  aud  it  was  estimated  that  three  thousand  persons  were 
in  attendance  and  that  nearly  one  thousand  took  com.munion. 
This  is  a  church-going  nation. 

There  is  a  great  deal  of  whittling  on  the  railing  of  the  pews 
in  the  galleries,  showing  again  the  natural,  and  probably  the 
actual  genealogical  affinity  of  the  Delecarlians  and  the  Con- 
necticut boys.  Ed,  Erickson  has  done  a  large  amount  of  work 
of  this  kind,  in  two  or  three  of  the  galleries  ;  and  his  capital- 
ized signature  or  his  skeleton  mark — as  E-D  ER  K  N — is  seen 
so  frequently  in  close  proximity  to  the  name  of  Anna  Larson — 
who  I  am  sure  never  did  any  jack-knife  work  here  at  all — that 
we  suspect  that  Ed.  has  been  over  on  the  side  reserved  for  the 
girls,  and  carved  both  names  as  a  hint  of  his  affection. 

The  pillars  are  octagonal,  and  five  feet  in  diameter.  There 
are  two  great  iron  stoves,  recently  set  up  ;  and  the  stovepipe 
that  emerges  from  the  ridge  of  the  roof  is  constructed  in  the 
shape  of  a  cross. 


1 66  NORTHERN  EUROPE 


XV. 

AT  MORA  AND  UTMELAND. 

The  great  object  of  interest  in  this  section  is  the  scene  of 
Gustavaa  Vasa's  conceahiient  and  escape,  which  is  situated 
about  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  Mora  Church.  To  that  point, 
under  the  guidance  of  the  son  of  our  landlady,  our  company 
started  at  noon  of  this  day.  Our  pilot — a  lad  of  eighteen — 
K.  A.  Sedjfors  by  name — purposes  going  to  California  in  the 
Fall,  and  you  can  imagine  the  interest  he  took  in  showing  us  all 
the  courtesies  in  his  power. 

Near  the  post  office  we  met  half  a  dozen  costumed  girls  from 
another  district.  They  wore  the  cross-barred  skirt  and  the 
sugar-loaf  hat  which  are  taken  as  a  pattern  for  most  of  the  dolls 
that  are  sent  abroad  to  represent  the  Delecarlian  dress.  By 
many  this  is  considered  the  handsomest  style  in  vogue  ;  and 
this,  as  a  common  judgment,  would  seem  to  be  established  by 
the  fact  that  the  pictures  most  frequently  represent  this  fashion. 

Distant  from  the  church  half  a  mile,  on  the  shore  of  the  lake 
or  harbor,  is  a  By — a  collection  of  twenty  houses  ;  and  three  of 
the  dwelling-houses  may  be  said  to  surround  a  well  and  a  hay- 
rick. To  this  sub-division — at  the  lower  end  of  this  settle- 
ment— we  paid  a  special  visit,  to  sample  the  Delecarlian  peas- 
ant's home.  The  account  we  had  given  of  our  own  call  at  a 
cottage  in  another  locality  made  our  less  fortunate  friends  very 
zealous  for  observation  and  inspection  here. 

As  we  approached  this  cluster  of  dwelling-houses  and  cow- 
sheds, we  saw  a  sign  of  alarm  on  the  part  of  some  of  the  female 
inhabitants,  who  happened  at  that  time  to  be  engaged  in  shak- 
ing down  the  hay  from  the  drying  poles  that  were  arranged 
adjacent  to  their  Summer  sleeping  quarters.  They  fled  in-doors 
to  change  their  apparel,  and  if  the  whole  truth  must  be  known, 
to  add  a  little  more  covering  to  their  lower  limbs.      They  had 


A  T  MORA  AND  UTMELAND.  i6j 

been  at  work  not  only  bare-footed  but  bare-legged  ;  as  is  the 
habit  of  these  people  in  the  warm  weather  while  engaged  in 
such  business. 

We  waited  at  the  door  of  the  last  house  a  few  minutes,  until 
there  was  a  signal  for  us  to  enter.  There  was  one  room  below, 
about  ten  feet  square,  and  an  attic  with  a  loose  floor — a  ladder 
reaching  to  a  trap-space — constituted  the  divisions.  On  one 
side  of  the  ground  story  was  a  double  bunk,  while  a  corner  on 
the  opposite  side  was  curtained  off  for  a  separate  sleeping  apart- 
ment. In  another  corner  was  a  chest,  out  of  which  several 
specimen  skirts  and  jackets  were  taken  and  sold  to  some  of  our 
party.  In  the  attic  four  beds  were  spread  ;  and  the  accommo- 
dation in  this  Harvest-home  was  said  to  be  ample  for  twelve 
persons. 

The  cattle-house,  which  is  about  fifteen  yards  distant,  was 
not  quite  twice  the  size  of  the  Summer  sleeping-house.  It  was 
furnished  with  a  stone  grate  and  a  large  iron-kettle,  in  which, 
during  the  Winter  months,  the  food  of  the  animals  as 
formerly  boiled  ;  a  practice  now  almost  wholly  abandoned. 
This  mode  of  preparing  the  cut  hay  and  straw  and  vegetables 
that  were  given  to  the  cows  and  sheep  had  an  additional  advan- 
tage in  tempering  the  atmosphere  in  the  "cattle-cabin"  to  the 
Spring  lambs  and  early  calves.  On  this  matter  there  was  a  great 
deal  of  excessively-repeated  speech  on  the  part  of  the  natives  of 
this  section  and  the  visitors  from  lower  latitudes  in  this  country. 
There  was  a  good-natured  but  very  earnest  dispute  concerning 
the  benefits  or  disadvantages  of  this  and  that  method  of  stabling 
the  animals  during  the  inclement  season.  There  was  a  very  in- 
telligent understanding  of  the  latest  teaching  of  the  agricultural 
schools  that  abound  in  Sweden, 

In  the  dwelling-houses  connected  with  this  circle  of  indus- 
trial buildings  we  were  shown  the  wool-spinning  wheel  and  card 
machine  in  full  operation  ;  for  in  each  place  visited  the  mother 
was  occupied  at  one  or  the  other,  with  a  child  in  a  cradle  at  her 
side.  Here,  too,  are  the  fixed  corner  bedsteads.  They  are 
very  deceptive  m  one  respect.  It  would  seem  to  the  inexperi- 
enced that  they  were  too  small  by  about  one-half,  for  the 
accommodation  of  a  man  of  average  length.  The  well-known 
measurement  by  the  eye  of  the  length  of  a  flour  barrel,  or  the 


i68 


NOR  THERM  E  UROPE. 


dimensions  of  a  horse's  head,  would  not  be  so  far  out  of  the 
way  on  the  first  guess,  as  are  the  estimates  on  these  sleep-cup- 
boards. They  are  five  feet  eight  inches  deep,  and  a  tape-hne 
was  carefully  applied  by  every  member  of  our  party  before 
incredulity  would  give  way  to  absolute  sight.  Our  Swedish 
camrades  were  equal  disbelievers  with  us  from  the  United 
States,  on  this  important  subject ;  and  the  torrents  of  nouns,  ' 
participles  and  adjectives  that  flew  around  the  comparatively  few 
verbs  that  were  used  on  this  occasion  by  the  natives,  was  dis- 
heartening to  a  pupil  in  the  primary  department  ;  and  the 
hearty  smacks  laid  in  and  over  the  "att's  sa  "  choruses,  were 
like  a  tumble-down  of  a  high  pile  of  clapboards  on  a  Stuart 
street  dock. 

As  we  pushed  along  toward  the  monument-like  building  at 
Utmeland,  we  measured  the  hight  of  the  growing  stalks  of 
grain  on  either  hand  ;  and  we  saw  several  fields  of  rye,  the  ma- 
jority of  whose  waving  heads  were  over  our  own  a  foot  or  more, 
and  gave  every  promise  of  a  splendid  yield.  It  was  sorrowful, 
indeed,  to  listen  to  the  story  of  probabilides  of  an  almost  entire 
destruction  of  this  growth  of  the  main  staple  grain  of  Sweden. 
But  unless  the  rainfall  slackens,  as  compared  with  the  showers 
of  the  past  week,  and  unless  the  prophecy  of  rot-day  weather  is 
unfulfilled — which  few  persons  hereabout  seems  to  hopefully 
expect — the  rye  crop  in  this  region,  now  so  promising,  will 
prove  an  entire  failure. 

We  happened  to  say  to  our  Swedish  companions  :  "Of 
course  you  have  become  familiar  with  the  song  of  our  Bobby 
Burns,  —  'Com.in'  Thro'  The  Rye  ?'  " 

To  our  amazement  they  one  and  all  instantly  replied  :  "Nay ; 
what  is  that.?" 

"  What !  you  never  heard  of  the  lines  : 

"  '  If  a  body  meet    a  body  comin  thro'  the  rye, 
If  a  body  kiss  a  body,  need  a  body  cry  ?" 

"Nay."  ; 

We  draw  to  one  side  to  reflect  and  weep  in  sol'tade. 
After  a  little  space  we  returned  to  the  company:  "  How  is  it 
possible  that  you  have  never  heard  of  that  song  ?  You  sing- 
ing people  ?     You  people  that  must  have  a  great  pride  over 


AT  MORA  AND    UTMELAAD.  169 

the  triumphs  of  Jenny  Lind  and  Christine  Nilsson  ?  Don't 
you  know  that  Jenny  Lind  sang  'Comin'  thro'  the  rye'  as 
her  principal  encore  song  when  she  visited  America  in  1850 
or  1851 ?" 

"No,"  They  were  very  proud  of  their  renowned  female 
vocalists — they  called  them  'birds'  in  a  very  pleasant  way; — 
but  they  really  never  had  heard  anything  of  Burns'  celebrat- 
ed song.  We  said:  "Why,  the  very  fact  that  yours  is  essent- 
ially a  country  of  rye  ought  to  have  made  it  inevitable  that 
such  people  as  you  are  should  be  acquainted  with  this  dainty 
little  production  from  the  pen  of  the  Scottish  bard.  And, 
whatever  may  have  been  the  poets  original  intention  in  the 
use  of  the  words,  "the  rye"  had  popular  acceptance  as 
meaning  a  field  of  grain." 

And  we  know  that  we  shall  have  sympathizers  the  world 
over,  when  we  say  and  declare  that  this  matter  distressed  us 
considerably, — alternately  puzzling  and  grieving  us.  But 
the  case  was  as  it  was;  the  fact  is  on  record,  and  let  the  sor- 
row and  shame  go  abroad,  as  the  ignorance  of  these  repre- 
sentative men  and  women — and  they  were  representative, 
undoubtedly — may  suggest  or  provoke  judgment!  We  have 
done  our  duty.  Every  incident  of  importance  in  the  biog- 
raphies of  the  two  bright  Swedish  vocalists  was  known  to 
the  excellent  people — as  it  seemed  to  us, — save  this  one 
precious  and  essential  item. 

Let  it  be  dwelt  upon  an  instant  longer:  to  add  that  there  are 
at  least  a  score  of  persons  in  San  Francisco  who  sat  in 
Metropolitan  Hall,  New  York  city,  when  I  was  there,  boy- 
hood-days ago,  and  listened  to  that  matchless  human  night- 
ingale pouring  forth  wondrous  melodies;  and  reappearing 
at  the  third  encore  and  bewitching  us  with  her  ren- 
dition of  the  simple  but  exquisite  song  to  which  we  have  re- 
ferred. Of  all  that  I  thought,  last  Spring,  when  I  saw 
P.  T.  Barnum  at  Bridgeport,  looking  not  much  older  than 
when  he  led  Jenny  Lind  on  the  platform  at  the  Metro- 
poHtan,  thirty-three  years  ago. 

Where  the  hamlet  of  Utmeland  once  was,  and  on  the  spot 
which  still  holds  the  name,  there  are  but  four  hous -s  now 
standing;  a  farmer's  cottage  and  barn  and  a  monument-like 
building.     In  the  otiier  cottage  the  keeper  resides. 


1 7  o  NOR  THERN  E  UROPE. 

Approaching  the  historic  spot,  we  pass  lo  the  rear  of  a  fine 
private  residence,  situated  in  the  midst  of  grounds  on  a  slight 
eminence  above  the  surrounding  country,  and  called  Cather- 
inesberg.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  harbor  is  a  high  knoll, 
which  is  called  Kristineberg,  the  magnificent  view  from 
which  draws  commending  notice  even  from  the  cautious, 
critical  and  phlegmatic  Baidecker.  These  residences  are 
owned  by  two  brothers,  who  put  in  an  occasional  appearance, 
as  their  leisure  from  business  or  as  their  tastes  incline. 

We  note  the  short  scythes  that  the  farmers  use — about  half 
the  size  of  those  that  are  generally  swung  in  America — and 
as  we  walk  along  a  friend  from  Upsala  tells  us  a  story  about 
a  youth  who  went  to  the  United  States  last  year  and  was  im- 
mediately employed  by  a  kind-hearted  farmer  in  Genesee 
country,  New  York.  The  boy  was  accustomed  to  work  dur- 
ing all  the  dayhght  hours  of  September,  and  in  that  first 
month  of  his  hiring  he  was  directed  at  seven  o'clock  to  go  to 
sici'p.  Now  sleep  in  Swedish  means  to  sharpen;  and  the  lad 
understood  that  he  was  to  take  the  sickles  that  were  used  for 
the  reaping  of  the  tangled  grain  and  put  an  edge  on  them  at 
the  grindstone.  So  he  gathered  the  blades  and  went  to  the 
woodshed,  where  the  wheel  was  standing  in  the  frame,  and 
there  he  stood,  for  half  an  hour  or  more, — waiting.  Out  from 
the  house  comes  the  husbandman  and  asks  why  his  boy 
lingers  in  that  place — why  he  does  not  go  to  sleep.  The 
boy  replied  that  he  could  not  do  that  until  he  had  his  girl. 
This  bothered  the  farmer  until  after  a  protracted  interchange 
of  wrecked  vernaculars,  it  was  made  clear  that  it  was  the  in- 
variable practice  in  Sweden  to  have  the  grindstone  turned 
by  a  girl,  while  sharpening  of  the  scythe  for  the  morrow's 
work  was  going  on. 

We  remarked  that  the  atmosphere  was  loaded  with  a  per- 
fume like  that  which  regaled  us  to  surfeit,  not  to  say 
suffocation,  when  we  attend  church  in  New  England  on  Sum- 
mer Sunday  afternoons;  in  the  days  when  we  belonged  to 
the  choir  and  sat  in  the  organ  gallery.  Ah  !  how  pungent 
this  same  aroma  to  our  nostrils,  in  those  young  days  of  old. 


A  T  MORA  AND  UTMELAND. 


171 


How  -came  it  here,  and  in  such  heavy  volume  !     It  is  the 
scent  of  the  wild  kimmel  that  grows  rank  on  every  side. 

We  passed  a  very  advanced  and  partly  mown  field  of 
barley,— sown  a  month  or  more  before  the  adjacent  acres 
were  planted,  as  we  were  assured,  and  can  well  believe.  "It 
is  the  first  to  be  cut  in  Dalecarlia,  "  boasts  the  proprietor,  as 
he  pauses  in  his  work  to  doff  his  hat  and  "  God-da^-i-dag  " 
separately  jind  with  most  particular  politeness.  Why,  this 
must  be  the  field  and  one  of  the  men  that  we  saw  at  3  o'clock 
this  morning  when  we  glanced  through  the  glass  all  around 
the  horizen,  and  shouted  "All's  well"  in  involuntary  response 
to  the  horn-blowing  watchman  of  Mora.  "  Ja,  ja,  ja,  "  this 
was  the  place.  ".Vist,  vist."  Another  chorus  of  "Att  sa;" 
with  not  so  much  clatter  of  intonation  as  when  it  rose  and 
reverberated  in  the  peasant's  cottage,  but  still  making  a  very 
decided  concussion  on  the  all-incasing  air.  So  here  it  was 
that  we  saw — 

"In  among  the  bearded  barley. 
Reapers,  reaping  bright  and  early." 

It  is  within  a  few  feet  of  the  water's  edge  that  the  structure 
called  the  monument  stands.  The  Goverment  reservation  is 
about  twenty  acres,  as  near  as  I  could  judge.  The  building 
is  of  stone,  about  fourteen  feet  high  and  thirty  by 
twenty-two  feet  in  surface  measurement.  We  passed  around 
the  walls  and  we  exchanged  guesses  as  to  the  hight;  the 
keeper  declaring  that  he  could  not  give  any  figures  as  to  the 
size  of  the  structure. 

The  grounds  about  the  site  of  the  ancient  cottage,  in  the 
cellar  of  which  the  wife  of  Tomt-Mals  Larso  concealed 
Gustavus  Wasa  from  his  pursuing  enemies,  are  tastefully  kept, 
appropriately  arranged  in  walks  and  beds  and  shaded  roads. 

The  keeper  is  an  old  soldier,  Carl  B.  Oberg  by  name.  To 
begin  with  and  to  end  with  first  and  last,  you  may  be  sure 
you  will  be  introduced  into  his  little  office;  which  is  sur- 
rounded with  a  peculiar  and  very  beautiful  species  of  weep- 
ing birch.  In  that  office  visitors  are  shown  a  tempting  array 
of  photographs  of  scenery  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  monu- 
ment, and  photographic  views  taken  from  the  grounds  as  a 
standing-point  for  lake  and  distant  mountain  obervations. 


I -J 2  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


And  here,  also  are  pictures  of  the  Brooklyn  Bridge  and  other 
wonderful  structures,  "for  sale  at  lowest  prices."  First  or 
last,  sooner  or  later,  you  must  buy.  Carl  Oberg  is  an  adroit 
salesman;  he  can  nurse  the  slightest  spark  of  desire  to  pur- 
chase into  a  fire  that  cannot  be  quenched — except  by  tak- 
ing cards  from  his  hand  and  passing  kroners  into  the  thus 
vacated  palm.  He  can  do  more.  He  can  create  a  resist- 
less wish  to  purchase.  He  would  be  worth  $300  a  month  to 
Lord  &  Taylor  or  Constable  &  Co.,  in  New  York  city,  or  to 
Doane  &  Henshehvood,  corner  of  Kearny  and  Sutter  streets, 
San  Francisco, — so  soon  as  he  became  sufficiently  aquainted 
with  our  language  to  compose  twenty  or  thirty  soliciting  sen- 
tences. His  bland,  gracious,  condescending,  insinuating,  in- 
toxicating, deliriously-paralyzing  urbanity  cannot  be  with- 
stood, and  may  as  well  be  met  with  a  flag  of  truce  forthwith; 
thereby  saving  articles  of  surrender.  The  only  explanation 
of  the  fact  that  he  has  escaped  denominational  personal 
appropriation  as  a  debt-extinguisher  or  church  charity  Fair 
auctioneer,  must  be  that  there  are  not  such,  or  few  such, 
occasions  in  Sweden  as  call  for  this  class  of  purse  emptying 
seducers 

The  handsome  oak  doors  of  the  building  that  occupies  the 
the  spot  on  which  the  cottage  stood  a  few  years  ago,  are 
thrown  open  with  an  impressive  wave  ol  the  arm,  rather  than 
with  a  plebeian  push  from  the  elbow,  by  the  aforesaid  Carl 
B.  Oberg,  His  Majesty's  keeper  at  this  historic  place.  "  Be 
so  good  as  to  walk  in."  One  of  the  young  ladies  of  the 
party  remarked  that  she  would  have  gone  in  on  that  gesture, 
if  it  had  made  her  freckled  for  life.  Could  more  be  said  on 
this  point  .^ 

But  the  doors  are  opened  and  we  are  in  the  oblong,  close- 
walled  room,  and  feel  the  presence  of  the  great  Gustavus  ! 
There  is  a  hush  of  solemn  silence  ;  the  prattle  of  merriment 
is  no  more.  Let  us  not  be  challenged  as  wantonly  seeking 
to  belittle  this  august  scene. 

Over  the  door  we  read  :  "Gustavus  Wasa,  exiled,  walked  in 
Delecarlia  and  exhorted  its  men  to  struggle  for  the  liberty  of 
their  country,  and  was  saved  on  this  place  from  the  spies  sent 
by  the  tyrant,  by  the  presence  of  mind  of  a  Dalecarlian 
woman."     And  again:  "Charles  XV.,  the  i8th  succssor  of 


AT  MORA  AND  UTMELAND. 


173 


d 

H 
> 
< 
c! 

> 

> 

n 
c 
iz; 
n 
w 
> 

H 


1 74  A'OJ^  THERN  E  UROPE. 

Gustaviis  Wasa  on  the  Swedish  Throne,  adorned  with  his  own 
hand  this  monument,  erected  by  the  gratefulness  of  the 
Swedish  people  to  the  remembrance  of  the  liberator  300  years 
after  his  death." 

The  sunlight  pours  down  through  the  flat  glass  ceiling  upon 
the  paved  floor,  on  the  side  of  Avhich  is  a  double-trap  lid  that 
we  at  once  know  must  cover  the  little  arched  bin  or  oven  where 
the  great  Gustavus  was  quickly  and  cunningly  hidden  by  the 
wife  of  Larsons,  at  the  very  instant  that  the  troops  of  Chris- 
tian were  dismounting  in  front  of  the  cottage. 

Directly  facing  us  as  we  enter  is  a  famous  painting,  by  J.  Y. 
Hockert — a  canvas  ten  by  twelve  feet — which  vividly  pre- 
sents the  chieftain  in  the  act  of  descending  into  the  cellar, 
while  the  faithful  friend  holds  the  empty  brewing  tub  in  the 
attitude  of  one  about  to  cast  it  over  the  trap  when  it  shall 
have  been  closed.  Through  the  window  she  sees  the 
advancing  troopers  already  close  to  the  rear  of  the  dwelling 
and  fear  and  courageous  resolution  are  at  the  same  time 
stamped  upon  her  countenance. 

The  subjoined  translation  of  the  inscription  over  this 
painting  is,  perhaps,  sufficiently  full  as  a  description  of  the 
scene  that  is  sought  to  be  depicted:  "As  a  hunted  game,  on 
roads  and  footpaths  in  forests  and  grounds,  pursued  by  the 
friends  and  servants  of  his  enemies,  Gustavus  came  in  the 
days  before  Christmas  to  Mora,  seeking  for  protection  at  the 
hands  of  the  honest  Tomts- Mates  Larsson,  in  the  village 
Utmeland.  The  spies  of  his  enemies  came  soon  to  catch 
prey,  but  the  ingenious  wife  of  Mats  Larsson  occupied  with 
the  brewing  for  the  Xmas,  told  the  fugitive  to  go  down  into 
the  cellar.  Then  she  put  the  beer  vat  over  the  trap  of  the 
door  of  the  cellar:  thus  saving  the  future  liberator  of  her 
native  country  from  being  discovered  by  his  enemies,  who 
forced  their  way  into  the  cottage  and  searched  in  every 
crack  and  corner, — as  they  supposed." 

The  face  of  Gustavus,  as  painted  here,  has  an  appealing 
and  rather  distrustful  look,  which  we  mention  to  our  cordial 
guide.  "That  is  correct,"  he  replied;  "that  is  just  as  it 
should  be.  He  was  advised  to  seek  this  cottage  as  a  safe 
retreat  by  an  old    schoolfellow,  who    was    pastor  of    Mora 


AT  MORA  AND   UTMELAND.  ly- 

Church.  Gustavus  was  lotli  to  suspect  treachery  on  the 
part  of  his  playmate,  who  did,  in  fact,  attempt  to  betray  him. 
So  at  first,  when  he  saw  the  troopers  coming,  his  suspicion 
naturally  rested  on  Mats  Larsson  and  his  wife.  His  last 
words  to  her  before  she  closed  the  trap  were  'Woman,  if  you 
can  be  brought  to  prove  false  to  me  you  will  not  lack  for 
money.'  But  they  could  not  buy  her;  thev  could  not  buy  her  ! 
Nay!  Nay!"  And  the  knightly  old  soldier  rubbed  his 'hands 
as  he  said  this,  as  though  he  were  earnestly  congratulaiing 
himself  and  his  country  and  the  world,  over  an  event  of 
patriotic  faithfulness  that  took  place  the  day  before.  He  im- 
pressed us  all  in  that  way. 

The  picture  is  worthy  of  study;  and  we  very  much  regretted 
the  shortness  of  our  visit  for  gazing  upon  it.  All  the  details 
of  cottage  furniture — for  which  historic  fidelity  is  claimed — 
are  well  presented:  and  as  the  eye  comes  back  from  seeing 
and  examining  them,  there  is  fresh  as  ever  the  thrill  of  sympa- 
thy with  that  brave  and  beautiful  peasant  woman:  grasping  the 
vat  (which,  history  tells  us,  fortunately  had  been  emptied  a  min- 
ute before),  casting  a  glance  of  terror  at  the  mailed  and  spear- 
bearing  horsemen  who  are  galloping'close  to  her  house — about 
to  utter  her  parting  admonition  and  assurance  as  one  can  well 
believe:     "Go  !     I  will  trick  them:  I  will  save  you  !  " 

The  painting  by  E.  Berg,  of  the  same  size  as  that  from  the 
brush  ol  llockert,  is  placed  on  the  left-hand  wall,  and  it  pre- 
sents a  view  of  the  house  of  Ornas,  near  Borlange,  which  we 
shall  soon  visit;  where  Gustavus  was  also  at  one  time  conceal- 
ed, and  from  which  he  was  enablel,  by  the  steadfast  aid  of  an- 
other woman,  to  elude  his  pursurers.  Over  this  canvas  is  an 
inscription,  of  which  we  give  the  following  interpretation: 
"Gustavus  Wasa,  expecting  to  find  minds  and  arms  to  save  his 
native  country,  walked  disguised  from  a  village  in  Delarne.  At 
the  end  of  November,  1530,  he  came  to  the  estate  of  Arendt 
Persson.  This  traitorous  friend  of  his  youth,  feigning  interest 
for  the  fate  of  his  country  and  sympathy  with  the  plans  of  Gus- 
tavus for  its  liberation,  lodged  him  in  an  old  house,  which  is 
still  standing,  under  the  pretext  of  finding  out  the  thoughts  of 
the  neighbors.  Perssons  started  to  inform  the  Steward  of  the 
district  of  the  hiding  place  of  the  fugitive,  on  whose  head  a 


1 7  6  ^OH  THERN  E  UROPE. 

high  price  had  been  set;  but  Arendt  Perssons  wife,  Barbro 
Stigsdotter,  suspecting  the  plans  of  her  husband,  called  her 
guest  and  procured  him  means  of  escape  from  the  overhanging 
danger. " 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  she  let  him  down  from  a  window,  in 
the  Kungs-kammare,  by  a  long  towel.  He  was  then  taken 
in  a  boat  and  carried  to  the  other  side  of  the  Lake  Rank- 
hyttan. 

The  painting  by  Charles  XV,  which  is  of  equal  propor- 
tions with  the  others,  and  might  obtain  the  same  price  at  an 
auction  where  the  bidders  were  exclusively  composed  of 
railroad  monopolists,  is  a  daub;  but  as  it  is  the  production 
of  a  royal  hand,  and  was  the  well-meant  effort  of  a  very  pop- 
ular King — to  whom,  perhaps,  nothing  worse  than  this  can 
be  attributed — a  "successor  on  the  throne"  (by  interpolation, 
so  to  speak,)  and  as  it  makes  a  corresponding  "adornment." — 
also,  so  to  speak — we  may  continue  to  tolerate  M  in  its  place 
a  few  years  longer.  It  is  entitled,  "Salen  in  Lima."  It  is  a 
landscape;  simply  that,  and  nothing  more.  The  inscription 
over  this  painting  reads  about  as  follows:  "After  vain  efforts 
to  exalt  the  Dalecarlians  to  struggle  for  liberty,  Gustavus 
walked  to  the  boundries  of  Norway,  to  leave  his  country, 
which  he  saw  no  more  prospect  of  saving.  In  the  mean- 
time other  -fugitives  came  with  the  news  about  the 
cruelties  of  King  Christian,  both  in  the  Capital  and  in  the 
country.  The  Dalecarlians,  changing  their  minds,  sent 
messengers  to  seek  and  recall  Gustavus,  who  was  found  in 
the  village  of  Salen,  in  the  parish  of  Lima.  He  returned 
with  joy  and  was  chosen  Captain  by  the  people  gathered  in 
ISIora,  and  set  out  in  order  to  drive  away  the  tyrant  and  his 
adherents.  The  saved  country  elevated  the  liberator  upon 
the  throne,  which  he  confirmed  against  enemies  without  and 
within.  The  exiled  fugitive  was  the  founder  of  a  new  ship 
of  state,  and  the  ancestor  of  one  of  the  noblest  royal  families 
of  Europe." 

The  trapdoor  was  opened,  and  one  at  a  time  we  descended 
and  surveyed  the  cellar.  The  steps  are  made  of  stone,  and 
have  been  put  in  at  the  side,  where  the  ladder  rested  on  which 
the  great  Gustavus  himself  walked  down.     We  measured  the 


AT  MORA  AND  UTMELAXD. 


177 


hiding  place,  as  the  keeper  could  not  give  the  dimensions. 
It  is  eleven  feet  long,  eight  feet  wide  and  five  feet  high  from 
the  bottom  to  the  top  of  the  arch.  It  is  oven-shaped,  as  be- 
fore indicated.  The  walls  are  brick,  and  they  are  stained  and 
black  with  age.     Here  are  inscribed  by  their  own  hands,  the 


MONUMENT    OF    GUSTAVUS    WASA. 


names  or  initials  of  every  Swedish  king  since  the  days  of  Gus- 
tavus,  who  has  visited  this  place. 

In  one  corner  of  the  "monument" — nearest  to  the  door — 
there  is  a  small  table,  on  which  is  a  register  where  visitors' 
names  are  recorded.  We  see  here  only  one  American  auto- 
graph,— that  of  a  Mr.  Baker, — of  Toledo,  Ohio. 

By  the  side  of  the  register  is  a  Bible  that  bears  the  date 
1541.  We  opened  its  lids  at  random  and  saw  two  pages  of 
the  Book  of  Esther.     This  was  considered  a  coincidence. 

Going  outside  we  noticed  the  coats  of  arms  of  each  State, 


178  NORTHERN  EUROPE, 

upon  the  corners  of  the  monumental  huilding.     The  carving 
and  color  are  admirable. 

As  we  pass  through  the  grounds,  back  again  to  the  offi- 
cial residence  of  the  keeper,  we  meet  and  are  introduced  to  his 
wife,  an  old  lady  who  at  once  manifested  some  of  the  same 
fascinating  qualities  possessed  by  her  worthy  husband.  Her 
name,  like  that  of  Madame  Stacklebacken,  at  Stromsholm,  is 
in  all  the  neighbors  mouths,  as  the  name  of  The  Woman  of 
Good  Deeds. 

And  now,  as  we  pass  back  to  the  town — laden  with  photo- 
graphs, as  may  well  be  imagined — our  youthful  guide  points 
out  the  direction  in  which  the  parish  of  Lima  lies.  There  he 
has  been;  there  he  was  last  year.  There  the  people  are  not 
obliged  to  work;  nav,  not  at  all.  They  live  on  the  rent  money 
of  their  wood  lands.  They  can  and  do  rent  them  out  to 
companies,  who  chop  on  them  for  a  term  of  fifty  years.  Then 
there  must  be  an  interval  of  undisturbed  growth  for  one  hund- 
dred  years,  during  which  the  Limans  must  cultivate  habits  of 
of  industry,  according  to  the  Scripture.  After  that  comes  an- 
other fifty  years  lease;  and  so  on.  Lucky  are  the  children  of 
the  Limans  of  this  generation,  for  they  were  born  into  the  be- 
ginning of  a  half  century's  lease.  We  asked:  "  You  were  there 
long  enough  to  see  how  these  people  lived  during  their  inde- 
pendent period  ?     Do  they  become  enervated — lazy  ?" 

"Nav;  they  work  enough  for  healthful  exercise;  that  is  all 
they  have  to  do,  and  that  is  all  they  do  do." 

"How  far  is  it  from  here  to  that  land  of  the  blest  ? " 

"About  seven  Swedish  miles." 

Midday  Mountain,  twenty  English  miles  distant  from  Mora, 
is  respectfully  called  to  our  attention.  We  had  noticed  that  it 
was  conspicuously  there  before,  and  were  just  going  to  ask 
about  it.  Well,  from  the  top  of  that  mountain  you  can  see 
seven  churches.  It  is  called  Midday  mountain  because  at  mid- 
day the  sun  stands  right  over  it !  On  the  very  summit  there 
is  a  crystal  spring,  where  the  water  bubbles  up  in  copious  vol- 
ume, without  any  perceptible  diminution  of  quantity,  ail  the 
year  round. 

Along  the  side  of  that  mountain  are  many  Soetors,  where  the 
cows  are  pastured  during  the  Summer.     Several  dairy  proprie- 


AT  MORA  AND  UTMELAND.  179 

tors  in  the  vicinity  of  Mora  have  their  Summer  quarters  (or 
their  milking  women  have)  in  those  mountain-grass  lands.  In 
those  rare  instances  where  a  DalecarUan  loses  his  temper  and 
cannot  refrain  from  speaking  with  contemptuous  indigna- 
tion to  his  neighbor,  he  sometimes  tells  him  to  go  to  Sae- 
tor;  which  I  took  some  pains  to  explain,  was  equivalent  to  a 
common  expression  indulged  in  sometimes  under  similar  cir- 
cumstances in  America,  "You  go  to  grass."  For  this  expla- 
nation, I  received  a  vote  of  thanks. 

We  met  a  tall  leather-apron  with  a  man  behind  it  or  m  it, 
as  we  were  nearly  opposite  the  front  gate,  of  the  rich  man's 
residence,  who  dwells  in  Catherinesberg.  He  dag-i-dagged  to 
us  in  loud,  peremptory  manner;  and  I  declare  I  thought  for  one 
moment  that  he  was  going  to  draw  his  knife  on  us.  He  made  a 
sudden  motion  of  his  hand  to  his  side  and  brought  forth  some- 
thing that  glittered.  It  was  his  snuff-box.  Most  hospitably  he 
held  it  out  to  one  and  all.  Then  he  himself  took  out  an 
enormous  pinch  and  seemed  to  toss  it  in  the  air,  but  we  all 
knew  that  it  was  not  thrown  away.  We  smelt  of  the  pulver- 
ized article,  of  course,  for  courtesy's  sake,  and  then  we 
foreigners — inexperienced  in  this  prevailing  habit  among  the 
elder  Dalecarlians — gave  the  whole  neighborhood  the  benefit 
of  our  "atts  sas"  which  they  won't  forget  very  soon;  nor  we, 
either. 

With  compassion  that  mighty  man  of  Mora  looked  at  us. 
He  had  heard  of  the  Herr  from  America  that  was  in  town. 
I  guessed  that  it  was  his  brother  that  I  had  been  drinking 
coffee  with.  He  would  not  speculate  upon  or  vouchsafe  me 
any  information  on  that  subject  at  all. 

He  said  "you"  to  me  and  to  all  of  us  a  sufficent  number 
of  times  to  vindicate  his  Dalecarlian  right  and  privilege  in 
this  direction.  (The  Dalecarlians  are  the  only  people  in 
Southern  Sweden  who  say  "you,"  but  they  take  pride  in  say- 
ing this  to  foreigners  and  to  their  king  and  Princes  Royal,  so 
that  they  may  not  forget  it.)  Having  you-ed  us  at  least 
three  times,  all  around,  he  passed  on.  VVe  felt  a  sense  of 
relief  in  his  absence;  but  we  were  assured  that  he  intended 
to  highly  honor  us  by  his  snuff  invitation  and  his  you  itera- 
tion.    We  were  satisfied,  and  rejected  the  offer  to  call  him 


l8o  NORTHERN   EUROPE. 

back  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  a  better  acquaintance. 

The  spot  from  which  Gustavus  is  said  to  have  addressed 
the  people  of  his  vicinity  once  upon  a  time,  which  is  called 
Klockgropsbacke,  is  situated  in  the  yard  of  a  private  resi- 
dence, near  to  the  schoolhouse  and  not  a  fifty  rods  from 
the  church.  It  is  a  small  turf-covered  mound,  on  which  has 
been  planted  a  flagstaff  of  perhaps  twenty-five  feet  in  height. 
Adjacent  to  it  is  a  tea-table  arbor — coffee-table  arbor,  I 
should  have  written — for  family  entertainment.  Our  friend 
frora  Falun,  who  took  the  lead  on  our  first  visit  to  this  spot, 
hesitated  about  going  into  the  yard  through  the  back  gate 
that  stood  open  or  the  front  gate  that  was  shut.  He  was 
satisfied  as  we  were  at  the  time,  with  simply  taking  notes  of 
the  surroundings  from  the  line  of  the  fence,  twenty  or  thirty 
feet  distant.  But  the  neglect  to  make  an  actual  entrance 
upon  this  ground  haunted  us;  as  we  have  since  learned  it  has 
tormented  other  folks.  But  we  have  cured  our  sorrow  and 
grieving  by  marching  boldly  uj)  to  the  door  of  the  house  of  the 
owner  of  the  premises  aforesaid,  and  Americanizing  him  (we 
presume  it  was  he)  into  an  agreement  to  let  us  walk  around 
the  mound  and  over  it  once — provided  we  quit  the  neighbor- 
hood forever  after.  We  passed  as  prescribed.  We  are  sorry 
to  say  that  the  engravings  that  represent  this  spot  as  a  pre- 
cipitous hill  are  false,  fraudulent  and  untrue;  and  there  is  no 
tradition  of  grading,  cutting  or  filling  that  lends  any  moral 
or  material  support  to  the  historical  allegations  of  the  en- 
graver. It  is,  I  believe — as  far  as  I  can  recollect  at  this 
moment — the  only  instance  of  deceptive  publications  that 
I  have  come  across  since  I  have  been  in  Sweden;  unless  I 
have  to  drag  in  here,  as  an  exception  to  this  complimen- 
tary statement,  the  ridiculously  false  statement  about 
American  taxation  on  Swedish  immigrants  in  which  news- 
papers indulge.  But,  of  course,  I  v/as  speaking  about  amuse- 
ments, historic  associations  aad  accessories,  and  all  that  sort 
of  thing;  and  only  about  that  sort  of  thing. 

From  Kristinberg  there  is  a  magnificent  view  all  round- 
about, of  harbor  and  lake  and  of  distant  mountain  ridges  that 
are  so  very,  very  blue — with  intervening  meadow  lands,  so 
very,  very  green. 


FROM  MORA  TO  FALUN. 


i8i 


To  the  southwest,  and  about  eight  miles  away,  is  the  lorg 
narrow  island  of  &olleron.  This  island  is  said  to  contain  the 
best  land  in  all  this  section  of  country,  and  to  be  inhabited 
by  the  worst  people  that  live  in  Dalarne.  It  constitutes  a 
parish  by  itself,  and  has  for  its  minister  at  the  present  time  a 
man  who  once  was  a  blacksmith  and  became  a  minister  long 
after  he  had  arrived  at  maturity.  He  is  said  to  sympathize 
wiih  the  people  in  unlawful  deeds  and  purposes.  When  an 
officer  comes  there  to  arrest  persons  charged  with  crime,  it 
is  said  that  he  will  aid  in  the  concealment  and  contribute 
toward  deceiving  or  ill-treating  the  sheriff. 


RATTVIK   CHURCH. 

A  woman  who  lived  there  from  childhood  is  now  under 
arrest  for  killing  a  girl  of  her  own  parentage;  a  child  8 
years  old.  And  since  her  imprisonment,  evidence  has  been 
obtained  which  indicates  that  she  had  killed  ten  of  her 
children  before  she  committed  this  particular  murder  for 
which  she  is  now  under-going  or  awaiting  examination. 
The  church  there  is  called  Sophia  Magdclene,  but  our  guide 
said  that  the  people  who  live  on  the  adjacent  mainland   fre- 


l82  NORTHERN  EUROPE, 

quently  say  that  it  should  be  called  Jadas  Iscariot.  As 
one  of  our  company  expressed  it,  with  that  neat  Swedish 
turn  for  precision,  "It  seems  to  be  a  little  land  of  evil-doers." 
It  lies  beautifully  at  the  head  of  LakeSiljan.  (Lord  Byron 
was  wont  to  say  that  little  island  with  good  land  locked 
harbors  breed  pirates.) 

All  along  the  lake  shore  we  mark  the  track  of  the  light- 
ning on  the  telegraph  poles;  often  shattering  them  to 
splinters — sometimes  leaving  just  enough  wood  to  pospone 
the  day  of  substitution  till  a  more  convienent  season;  and  so 
letting  us  see  in  the  sunshine  what  can  be  done  in  this 
latitude  in  a  thunderstorm,  when  nature  goes  into  the 
telegraph  business.  Insulating  telegraph  wires  have  been 
run  from  the  Mora  telegraph  office  to  the  lake. 

You  can  telegraph  from  Mora  to  the  end  of  Sweden  for  a 
kroner;  20  words  for  twenty  cents.  The  operator  here  acted 
as  though  he  was  struck  by  lightning,  when  I  told  him  what 
the  charges  were  for  telegraphing  messages  in  some  parts  of 
the  United  States  of  America. 

In  the  midst  of  a  drenching  rainstorm  we  bade  farewell 
to  Mora.  Nor  had  the  clouds  lifted  or  ceased  to  send  down 
floods  when  we  reached  the  picturesquely  situated  Valley  of 
Rattvik, — the  "Arcadia  of  Dalarne." 


XVL 

FROM  MORA  TO  FALUN. 

I  SPOKE  of  the  drenching  showers  that  followed  us  from 
the  head  of  Lake  Siljen  to  the  "  Arcadia  of  Delecarlia  "  ; 
and  now  I  have  to  add  that  this  heavy  fall  of  water  continued 
during  our  entire  journey  to  Falun.  There  were  brief  inter- 
vals when  the  rain  would  slacken,  and  from  some  corners  of 
the  heavens  the  sun  would  peep  through  long  enough  to 
throw  a  score  of  curiously  beautiful  rainbows  at  so  many 


FROM  MORA  TO  FALUN.  183 

angles  with  each  other.  But  it  seemed  as  if  these  were  breath- 
ing spells,  during  which  the  elements  gathered  new  strength 
and  supplies  for  the  business  of  deludgingthe  earth.  A  row 
of  farmers  sat  at  one  end  of  the  cabin  on  the  Gustavus  Wasa, 
and  talked  in  a  deeply  sympathizing  tone  and  manner  of  the 
sorrow  of  their  distant  neighbors,  under  this  affliction  of  ex- 
cessive moisture.  They  would  pass  to  one  another  the  oft  re- 
peated question  "  what  will  the  poor  people  do  ?  "  And  then 
there  would  be  a  pause  for  several  minutes,  which  would  be 
of  painful  eloquence,  as  indicating  the  profound  grief  and 
silent  prayer  for  the  bereaved,  that  was  indwelling  and  out- 
going grom  these  good  hearted  visitors  and  neighbors  from 
an  adjoining  State. 

While  we  did  not  fail  to  join  in  the  sentiment  and  expres- 
sions of  regret,  we  sought  in  vain  to  cheer  up  the  native  mourn- 
ers by  suggesting  that  it  miglit  not  be  so  bad  a  year  for  the 
crops  as  was  now  feared  by  them  ;  but  when  we  saw  that  our 
efforts  of  this  kind  were  calculated  to  make  these  folks  think 
tliat  we  were  really  imsympathetic,  we  cut  short  the  well 
meant  speech  with  as  sharp  an  assurance  as  we  could  give  of 
our  direct  wish  for  more  favorable  seasons.  But  we  could 
not  wholly  regain  the  confidence  and  liking  that  we  had  lost  in 
the  way  herein  confessed  ;  and  we  shall  never  more  make  a 
similar  attempt  among  the  inhabitants  of  this  country. 

Oh,  how  it  did  rain  !  At  times  it  was  of  the  character  of  a 
cataract.  Those  passengers  who  walked  from  the  steamer 
station  to  Gagness  Kyrka,  a  distance  of  one  mile,  had  their 
umberellas  beaten  in,  and  made  their  appearance  at  the 
Dalef  station  with  every  article  of  clothing  thoroughly  satu- 
rated. To  one  who  has  been  accustomed  to  the  dry  Summer 
seasons  of  California,  there  is  a  sense  of  novelty  in  such  an 
exhibition  that  cannot  be  adequately  explained.  It  would 
seem  as  though  the  month  must  be  December,  January  or 
February  \  it  was  like  the  case  of  pinching  one's  self  to  sat- 
isfy as  to  identity.  It  could  not  be  that  this  was  midsummer? 
The  sudden,  complete  belief  [that  we  v/ere  in  a  California 
Winter  would  come,  as  vivid  as  a  dream  ;  and  then  there 
would  be  an  actual  shock  and  almost  audible  protest,  when 
the  fact  of  time  and  place  rushed  back  ui)on  our  conscious- 
ness. 


1 34  NORTHERN'  EUROPE. 

We  had  a  nobleman  with  us,  from  Mora  to  Rattvik  ;  a 
**  no  mistake,"  genuine  baron  "  of  high  degree  ;  "  one  among 
tJie  barons  of  eminent  distinction.  So  we  were  told  repeatedly 
by  a  number  of  fellow  passengers  ;  who  wanted  our  opinion 
as  to  his  looks,  qualifications,  and  as  to  how  he  compared 
with  other  persons  of  his  rank,  etc.;  and  that  upon  very  in- 
sufficient observation!  When  we  ventured  to  say  that  we  did 
not  like  the  idea  of  a  titled  nobleman,  we  met  with  unani- 
mous agreement  in  the  little  knot  of  travellers  Avho  with  our- 
selves braved  the  tempest  v/hen  it  was  on  its  lower  flood,  by 
standing  out  on  the  forecastle  deck.  But  if  there  be  nobles, 
we  hope  that  Sweden  will  always  have  as  handsome  repre- 
sentatives in  that  line  as  Baron  Plata  (or  Plater,)  who 
paced  the  Captain's  floor  on  the  AVasa,  on  the  day  and  in  the 
midst  of  the  storm  above  mentioned.  A  splendid  appearing 
man  he  certainly  is  ;  over  six  feet  high,  and  rounded  out  in 
due  proportion  for  a  man  of  forty  or  thereabouts.  Fine  fore- 
head, and  clear  hazel  eyes  that,  with  the  lines  immediately 
below  them,  which  separated  downwards  when  he  smiled,  be- 
token a  kind  and  generous  disposition.  A  good  specimen  of 
a  nobleman  to  put  on  exhibition,  when  the  best  arguments 
in  behalf  of  the  system  of  blooded  aristocracy  are  required. 

We  waited  for  the  river  or  dalef  steamer  for  more  than  an 
hour:  being  housed  in  an  old  dilapidated  freight  shed  ;  wherein 
several  companies  and  individuals  who  were  making  this  trip 
spread  their  respective  lunches  and  ate  heartily  ;  while  there 
was  the  clatter  of  much  conversation  and  the  mingled  rattling 
and  spattering  sound  made  by  copious  rain  showers  on  the 
roof  and  on  the  surface  of  the  stream  beside  us.  The  drops  of 
falling  water  seemed  to  be  of  unusual  size,  and  the  noise  of  the 
rain  striking  the  river  during  the  heaviest  gush  of  the  showers 
was  sufficiently  strong  to  prevent  our  hearing  each  other's 
words  unless  we  spoke  at  a  high  pitch  of  the  voice. 

A  peddler  who  had  accompanied  us  down  from  Mora,  but 
had  mado  no  effort  to  dispose  of  any  of  his  w\ares  while  on  the 
steamer,  and  who  had  answered  all  questions  put  to  him  by  a 
response  of  grunts,  here  unstrapped  his  enormous  bundle  and 
displayed  a  diversehandcl  establishment  that  in  point  of  variety 
and  amount  would  have  been  creditable  to  the  average  thread 


FROM  MORA    TO  FALUN.  185 

and  needle  store  of  London.  And  who  unloosed  this  man's 
tongue?  what  wrought  this  miracle  of  transformation  from  a 
deaf  mute  to  the  most  voluble  and  even  most  vocifer- 
ous hawker  ?  Was  this  the  effect  of  the  torrents  without  and 
around  us  suggested  one  ?  Had  he  been  to  see  the  monu- 
ment of  the  great  Gustavus  and  temporarily  lost  his  power  of 
speech  in  the  presence  of  Carl  Oberg,  the  King's  keeper — only 
now,  at  this  distance,  regaining  the  faculty  of  _  articulation  ? 
However  this  was  or  might  have  been  it  is  certain  that  some- 
thing was  bought  from  the  tremendous  pack  by  everybody  in 
the  station,  as  a  declared  memento — if  for  no  other  reason — of 
this  remarkable  outburst  of  salesman  fluency. 

In  the  last  minutes  of  waiting,  a  loitering,  staggering, 
drenched  and  drunken  peasant  came  in,  out  of  the  thick  rain, 
and  immediately  purchased  a  yard  of  blue  ribbon,  to  lighten 
the  poor  man's  load,  as  he  said.  After  this  funny  transaction 
and  explanation,  the  inebriate  danced  a  kind  of  tangle-foot 
figure  at  one  end  of  the  shed,  and  then  doubled  up  and  went 
so  fast  asleep  on  the  instant  that  he  had  to  be  carried  to  the 
boat  l)y  the  baggage  cart  drivers. 

I  must  not  forget  to  mention  that  it  was  raining  all  this  time 
with  such  momentary  pauses  as  have  been  before  admitted  ; 
and  if  I  should  omit  to  speak  of  this  fact  again,  it  may  as  well 
be  understood  once  for  all,  that  water  poured  down  from  the 
skies  so  that  you  could  not  see  anything  two  hundred  yards 
away  during  nearly  all  the  voyage  from  Gagness  Kyrka  to 
Bats!  ad. 

On  this  section  of  our  return  trip  we  became  acquainted  with 
a  gentleman  who  said  that  he  had  resided  in  Boston  two  or 
three  years, — thirteeen  years  ago.  He  had  forgotten  most  of 
his  English  speech,  which  he  said  was  once  very  extensive.  He 
regretted  that  on  account  of  his  age — now  55 — he  could  not 
well  afford  to  try  a  business  change  back  again  to  America.  He 
said  he  was  a  small  shop-keeper  in  Stockholm,  and  managed 
to  just  make  the  two  ends  of  the  year  come  together  without 
bringing  him  in  debt.  He  had  been  to  the  North  as  far  as 
Mora  ;  stopping  at  all  the  principal  points  on  the  way  down, 
for  the  purpose  of  promoting  or  keeping  \\\->  his  little  business 
connections.     He  put  the  adjective   for   insignificance   before 


1 86  NOR  TIIEKN  E  UROPE. 

every  important  noun   that   he  used  ;  speaking  in  a  very  slow 
and  deliberate    manner,  as    though   afflicted  with  great   scrup- 
ulosity about  hi.s   sentences  ;  almost  convinced  that  he  ought 
not  to  say  anvthing,  and  always  regretting  what  he  had  said  the 
minute  he   got  a  word  or   two   out   of   his   mouth.     He  even 
called  his  wife  "my  little  woman,"  although  she  Avas  as  big  as 
he  Avas,  and  only  then  to  be  properly  described  as  small  by 
comparison  with  some  other  men's  wives  who  were  on  board. 
He  immediately   and    forcibly   suggested   Snagsby,    of  Bleak 
House  ;  and  his  "  little  woman  "  looked   as  though  she  might 
take  on  a  fit  of  jealously  on  less  probable  grounds  than  those 
from  which  Mrs.  Snagsby  inexorably  reasoned.     However,  he 
was  a  valuable  acquaintance  ; — an  intelligent   man,  and  one 
thoroughly  in  S}-mpathy  with  our  republican  institutions.  Kings 
and  lords  and  great  standing  annies  he  did  not  like  ;  and  he 
ventured,  with  several  little  ahems,  to  tell  us  in  a  very  low 
tone — almost  a  whisper — that  he  hoped  that  the  next  genera- 
tion of  Swedes  would  peacefully  change  the  little  kingdom  of 
Sweden  and  Norway  into  a  little  government  by  the  people; 
with  a  President  at  the  head,  and  a  Senate  and  House  of  Rep- 
resentatives— similar  to  the  political  institutions  of  the  United 
States.     All  this  he  said — with  more  stretch  of  words  and 
phrases  than  I  have  given.     Bless  the  little  man.     My  heart 
warmed  towards  him.     I  took   him   further   to  one  side  and 
told  him  of  my  surprise  and  my  stronger  sentiments  on  account 
of    the  fact  that   our   Swedish   Consuls   did   not   display  the 
American  flag — not  on  the  fourth  of  July,  even  ;  and  that  the 
consular  business  of  the  United  States  in  this  kingdom  was 
often  left  to  Swedish  Vice   Consuls,  or  to  Consuls  that  were  of 
Swedish  birth  and  devoid  of  sympathy  with  our  republic.      He 
agreed  to  co-operate  in  certain  little  ways  that  will  have  a  ten- 
dency to  expose  this  outrage,  and  give  us  representative  men 
and  actions  in  this  portion  of  the  globe  ;  if  the  consulai  system 
is  to  be  continued  and  maintained.     Bless  the  little  man. 

A  Leksand  girl  on  board,  at  our  request  exhibited  some 
winter  garments  that  she  was  taking  down  to  Stockholm  for  sale. 
The  coats  were  lined  with  wool ;  and  some  of  her  long  jackets 
or  frocks  for  women  were  made  of  sheepskin  tanned  with  the 
wool  upon  them.     These  people  make  sheepskin  aprons,  of 


FROM  MORA  TO  FALUAT.  1 87 

handsome  style,  which  I  thhik  would  be  copied  extensively  in 
our  country  if  the  model  or  pattern  was  conspicuously  put*  on 
exhibition.  They  are  very  neat,  are  often  tastefully  ornamented, 
and  are  recommended  as  "  lasting-a-life-time."  They  have  the 
appearance  of  cloth. 

Our  new-found  Boston  friend  was  interested  in  these  arti- 
cles of  domestic  commerce ;  also  in  the  Mora  wig  and  switch 
manufactories.  Female  agents  and  saleswomen  representing 
these  home  industries  were  on  board  the  boat,  on  their  way  to 
the  capital,  with  £pecim.ens  of  their  invoices  convenient  for 
showing  and  sale.  They  take  contracts  to  make  a  thin-haired 
or  bald  headed  lady  as  good  as  a  young  lady  of  twenty — to  all 
head-top  appearances.  This  :  or  no  pay.  Could  anything  be 
fairer  in  bargaining,  or  more  conducive  to  uniformity  of 
fashion  in  the  royal  ball-room  ?  As  indicated,  this  work  is 
done  by  the  fire-sides  of  the  Delecarlian  women. 

From  Batstad  to  Borlange — the  three-mile  connecting  dili- 
gence ride — it  was  a  succession  of  de^p  puddles  ;  showing  that 
the  watering-pot  of  old  Pluvius  had  been  tipped  in  this 
valley  at  the  angle  on  which  it  was  held  daring  t'le  fore  part  of 
the  day  in  upper  Dalarne.  But  the  sun  had  fiercely  broken 
through  clouds  for  a  steady  afternoon  visit ;  and  there  was  a 
sense  of  beneficence  in  his  warm  rays  that  made  us  think  again — 
as  all  of  us  have  doubtless  thought,  in  times  past — that  it  was  no 
wonder  that  the  ancients,  unenlightened  by  direct  revelation 
from  heaven,  or  the  uninstructed  savages  of  the  present  gen- 
eration, had  their  greatest  reverence  or  their  religious  worship 
for  the  king  of  day.  As  one  of  our  Swedish  companions — 
Dr.  Victor  Hugo  Wickstrom,  Professor  in  the  University  of  Lund 
— remarked  :  It  was  natural  f  jr  any  man,  under  the  circum- 
stances, to  feel  like  praying  to  Old  Sol  to  continue  to  burn  up 
the  clouds  for  a  month,  and  look  down  evenly  on  this  surface 
of  the  globe  until  tlie  harvest  was  over. 

It  was  difficult  to  get  our  fellow  travellers  into  any  protracted 
conversation  about  any  other  subjects  than  the  weather,  and  the 
state  of  the  crops,  and  the  farm  prospects  of  the  people  and  for 
the  people  during  the  coming  Autumn  and  Winter  seasons. 

Borlange  has  two  villages  :  The  railroad  station  is  "  number 
two  :" — This  is  a  great  manufacturing  place,  where  from  the  raw 


1 88  NORTHERN-  EUROPE. 

ore  the  metal  is  treated  and  manipulated,  and  "worked  up  " 
to  the  last  point  of  execution  ;  from  the  puddle  furnace  to  a 
scythe  factory.  Water  power  has  been  obtained  by  tunneling 
through  a  mountain  ;  water  is  abundant  and,  of  course,  the 
power  is  enormous.  A  foreman  to  whom  we  spoke  could  give 
no  exact  measurement ;  but  he  believed  that  the  aggregate  of 
force  that  could  be  utilized  would  amount  to  400, oco  horse 
power.  The  wages  of  the  furnace  men  are  very  low  ;  from  80 
ore  to  2  kroners  a  day.  But  the  machinists — some  of  them — 
get  as  high  as  eight  and  ten  kroners  a  day ;  which,  considering 
the  difference  in"  the  cost  of  living  is  higher  than  the  wages  re- 
ceived by  some  expert  workmen  in  New  York  establishments 
from  whom  I  obtained  items  for  comparison. 

Between  old  manufacturing  Borlange  and  the  new  railroad 
station  Borlange,  is  a  double  line  of  workmen's  cottages,  of 
which  the  people  boast.  They  contain  from  two  to  six  families 
— according  to  household  population,  of  course.  They  are  of 
brick  :  two  stories  and  two  stories  and  a  half  high  ;  and  appear 
to  us  at  first  glance  as  excellently  arranged  for  the  accomoda- 
tion of  this  class  of  laborers.  They  seemed  to  be  modeled 
after  those  we  saw  at  Gottenberg,  or  built  simultaneously  from 
the  same  pattern.  Of  course,  the  idea  of  copying  from  distant 
Swedish  fellow-subjects  and  manufacturers  was  repudiated  at 
the  instant  of  its  being  hinted.  The  "  nay,  nay  "  came  iikea 
flash,  and  seemed  to  almost, anticipate  the  remark  of  a  lady 
companion  :  "  How  sensitive  some  of  these  people  are,  on  the 
line  of  jealousies  among  themselves!"  And  yet,  this  senti- 
ment is  only  skin-deep,  for  when  we  told  them  at  the  work- 
men's houses  in  Borlange  of  the  condition  of  the  workmen  at 
Gottenberg,  and  of  the  characteristic  kindness  of  their  masters, 
our  listeners  were  unmistakably  gratified  and  proud. 

And  now  the  great  Gustavus  Wasa  reappears  ;  and  indeed 
we  never  tire  of  hearing  about  him  or  visiting  the  places  his 
presence  and  perils  have  made  memorable.  Ornas  is  situated 
at  the  Southwest  end  of  Lake  Runn.  Here  is  the  house  from 
which  he  escaped,  when  pursued  by  his  enemies;  being  let 
down  from  a  window  by  Barbro  Stigsdotter.  He  was  not  in  a 
basket,  after  the  manner  of  St.  Paul ;  but  he  clung  to  the  end 
of  a  long  towel.     The  room  he  occupied  is  shown,  and  the  bed 


FROM  MOKA    TO  FALUN. 


1S9 


in  which  he  slept  is  duly  certified  as  the  identical  resting-])lace 
of  the  fugitive  just  prior  to  this  successful  flight.  One  of  our 
Swedish  companions  stated  that  which  we  have  never  read  in 
any  history  of  this  affair.  She  said  that  Barhro's  treacherous 
husband,  Arendt  Persson,  who  sought  to  betray  Gusvtaus,  was 
so  enraged  at  the  conduct  of  his  wife  that  he  would  never  live 
with  her  afterwards  ;  and  that  he  procured  a  legal  separation 
from  her.  Of  course  it  is  well  kno\\'7i  that  she  was  pensioned 
by  Gustavus,  when  he  became  King  of  Sweden. 


ORNAS. 

At  the  southeast  end  of  this  lake  is  Rankhytton,  where  Gus- 
tavus thrashed  corn,  having  disguised  himself  and  obtained  em- 
ployment in  the  dress  of  a  Delecarlian  peasant.  The  barn  or 
"  king's  box"  where  he  worked,  is  on  exliibition  also  ;  and  we 
were  disappointed  in  not  having  the  identical  flail  that  he 
handled,  when  sc:olded  by  his  jirctenclcd  mistress  (as  a  part  of 
the  trick  of  concealment,)  for  his  laziness  and  inefficiency. 
After  inquiring  for  it,  we  were  informed  that  it  probably  was 
in  existence,  and  would  be  sought  for  at  once  !     And  then  our 


I90  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

local  guide  gradually  reached  a  suspicion  that  we  were  incredu- 
lous about  the  whole  exhibition  ;  for  with  ver}'  severe  empha- 
sis, she  asked  if  we  had  seen  the  towel  witli  which  Gustavus 
was  let  down  from  the  window  bv  Barbro  ? 


XVII 
AT  FALUN;  AND  THENCE  TO  WESTERAS. 

Falun  is  properly  described  as  a  town  that  has  been 
formed  by  the  growing  of  a  number  of  separate  villages. 
Historically  this  is  a  true  description.  But  we  could  not  see 
that  it  was  "obviously" — as  alleged — so  originated  and  en- 
larged into  one  continuous  or  connected  settlement.  There 
was  the  average  homogeneousness  in  the  character  of  the 
buildings,etc.  Falun  is  situated  between  lakes  Varpan  and 
Tisken,  and  the  views  on  the  lake  as  you  approach  the  town 
are  as  charming  as  anything  we  beheld  on  the  far-famed 
Malaren  itself.  A  little  stream  divides  the  town;  but  much 
the  larger  portion  and  the  best  constructed,  lies  on  the  East 
bank;  and  this  section  is  certainly  well  built  and  hansomely 
located. 

The  first  singularity  of  the  place  that  strikes  a  visitor,  is 
the  almost  uniform  building  entrance  through  court  yards. 
There  are  very  few  front  doors,  as  we  know  them;  and  while 
this  is  the  prevailing  custom  and  appearance  throughout 
Sweden,  it  is  almost  exclusively  the  fact  in  Falun.  Sidewalks 
are  rare;  and  those  that  are  to  be  seen  and  travelled  are  for  the 
most  part  constructed  the  same  as  a  road-bed:  laid  with 
cobble  stones  of  the  pointed  variety.  We  are  told  with  a 
hearty  accompanying  laugh,  very  soon  after  our  arrival,  that 
A'isitors  frequently  complain  of  dislocated  ankles  when  they 
have  spent  a  few  hours  in  marching  about  town.  The  cheerful 
waiting-maid  that  told  us  this,  was  evidently  of  the  opinion 
that  this  set  forth  one  of  the  attractions  of  the  place.     And 


AT  FALUN  AND  THENCE  TO  WESTERAS. 


191 


FALUN — VIEW  OF  MARKET,  CATHEDRAL  AND  COPPER-HILL  RANGE. 


192 


N0J?7'I/ERX  EUJWPE. 


she  asked  us  how  our  heels  felt,  when  we  returned  from  our 
first  promenade.  She  evidently  made  the  inquiry  with  the 
expectation  that  she  would  have  a  complaint  to  add  to  her 
stock  of  items.  Day  and  date  she  gave,  as  to  this  and  that 
limping  tourist.  But  good  English  walking  shoes,  and  a  month's 
almost  daily  experience  in  pedestrian  excursions,  had  fortified 
us  against  this  test  of  tendons.  Count  us  not  in  your  hospital 
catalogue,  my  merry.,  merry  maid  of  the  Nya  Hotellet,  at 
Falun. 

To  Mr.  B.  V.  Norstedt,  formerly  and  for  many  years  the 
superintendent  here,  we  desire  to  express  our  grateful  ac- 
knowledgements, for  his  services  as  guide  over  and  in  and 
through  the  copper  mines  of  Falun.  For  eight  hours  were  we  in 
his  company;  and  fortunate  will  those  be  who  come  after  us,  if 
they  can  procure  the  attendance  of  the  same  instructor. 
Three  years  ago,  after  thirty-five-years  employment  by  the 
great  corporation,  he  retired,  having,  as  he  expressed  it, 
just  enough  and  not  to  much  to  take  his  rest  with,  for  the 
estimated  God-willing  balance  of  his  days.  One  of  the  lords  of 
this  great  mine  estate  informed  us  that  they  offered  to  double 
Mr.  Norstedt's  wages  (they  don't  speak  of  salary  here)  if  he 
would  remain  in  harness  for  another  ten  years.  He  declined 
the  labor  but  justly  appreciated  the  proposition. 

And  from  the  same  source  we  learned  that  a  little  child — 
a  girl  of  nine  or  ten — that  was  with  him  and  his  wife 
when  we  first  met  him,  was  not  his  own  daughter,  as  we 
naturally  supposed  her  to  be;  but  a  waif  that  he  had  taken 
from  the  market,  as  it  were,  when  the  effects  of  a  dead  man 
were  disposed  of  at  auction.  He  Avas  present  at  the  sale,  and 
saw  the  child  delivered  over  to  the  keeper  of  a  public  institu- 
tion of  charity;  but  the  sight  so  haunted  him  that  he  rose  from 
his  bed  the  following  midnight  and  went  and  took  the  girl  and 
made  her  his  own.  When  we  heard  of  this,  we  knew  one 
of  the  special  reasons  for  the  extreme  deference  and  heartiness 
with  which  he  was  received  and  welcomed  by  the  workmen, 
wherever  we  passsed  them  on  the  hills  of  Falun. 

The  guide-books  speak  of  the  "burnt  up"  appearance  of  the 
whole  face  of  the  country  to  the  Southwest  of  the  town  or  city 
of  Falun — due  to  the  smoke    from   the  roasting  kilns.     The 


AT  FALUN  AND  THENCE  TO  WESTERAS. 


193 


appearance  of  the  surface  could  not  be  more  barren;  re- 
sembling the  region  round-about  Virginia  City,  Nevada.  But 
the  Comstock  range  did  ha\e  a  sagebrush  cover,  and  still 
partly  preserves  or  retains  it,  where  actual  mining  has  not  been 
done.  These  copper  hills  were  once  clad  with  thick  groves  of 
pine  and  fir;  and  on  the  summit  of  the  ridges  fartherest  on 
the  horizon,  there  is  even  now  a  line  of  stunted  resinous 
timber. 


B.  V.   NORSTEUT. 


It  is  recorded  that  two  bucks  became  engaged  in  a  battle, 
about  half-way  up  the  hill,  immediately  to   the  East  of  the 


194 


NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


lower  hoisting  works;  and  when  the  ancients  who  witnessed 
the  struggle  from  below  went  up  to  separate  the  "rambank- 
shious  animals,"  they  discovered  that  in  their  combat  they  had 
dug  away  the  dirt  from  the  foot  of  a  tree  that  covered  some 
glistening  stone.     Then  followed  inquiry  and  examination  and 


ascertaining,     and     thorough 


mmmg 


work;     and    lo!     the 


"Treasure  of  Sweden"  was  developed! 

The  ore  is  still  treated  in  part  by  roasting;  but  the  greater 
portion  is  quietly  dissolved  by  acids  which  are  obtained  by  cook- 
ing some  of  the  rock  or  earth  that  lines  the  leads  of  copper!  Is 
not  this  seething  the  kid  in  the  milk  of  the  mother  ?  Other  acids 
than  those  required  for  immediate  use  have  lately  been  dis- 
covered; and  two  great  factories  of  reducing  works  have  been 
built  here,  for  the  extraction  and  export  market  preparation 
of  these  valuable  liquors. 

The  town  is  not  afflicted  by  the  vapors  of  the  kilns,  so  far 
as  we  could  notice;  but  upon  the  hills  above  the  ledges,  it 
is  unpleasant  to  walk  through  the  lines  of  sulphurous  smoke, 
vitriol  of  copper,  sulphuric  acid,  and  an  ochre  sediment — the 
last  making  a  deep  penetrating  and  enduring  red  paint — are 
extracted  here  in  enormous  quantities. 

The  preservative  properties  of  the  fumes  of  the  old  re- 
duction beds  is  something  that  has  obtained  almost  world- 
wide notoriety.  All  the  guide  books  tell  the  story  of  the 
young  man  Matts  Isrjelson  who  for49yearslay  buried  in  the 
mines,  and  who  was  so  well  preserved  when  taken  out  that 
he  was  at  once  identified  by  the  old  woman  Avho,  as  a  girl, 
had  been  betrothed  to  him — 49  years  before.  His  remains 
were  preserved  21  years  in  a  glass  case,  on  exhibition;  and 
our  guide  and  friend  said  that  the  "spectacle"  was  not  at 
all  ghastly, — like  an  ordinary  corpse, — but  was  the  picture 
of  quiet  and  blissful  sleep. 

"Stoten"  is  the  name  of  an  abyss,  1160  feet  long,  640  feet 
wide  and  290  deep,  caused  bv  the  subsiding  of  the  roof  of 
the  prmcipal  mine  in  16S7.  Underneath  this  monstrous  cav- 
ing work  is  now  being  prosecuted.  Visitors  are  provided 
with  the  miners'  attire,  inclusive  of  a  helmet  surmounted  by  a 
lighted  candle,  and  a  special  guide.  The  descent  is  by  a 
wooden  flight  for  about  a  hundred  feet;  and  then  business 


AT  FALUN  AND  THENCE  TO    WESTER  AS.         195 


THE    STOTEN    ABYSS. 


1 9  6  NOR  THERN  E  UR  OPE. 

begins  on  an  iron  ladder,  or  series  of  ladders.  At  a  depth 
of  700  feet  we  reach  the  radsaal,  or  council  chamber.  It  is 
a  mammoth  excavation;  but  as  we  were  warned  by 
Bsedecker,  the  lighting  is  insufficient,  and  the  paths  are 
not  well  selected  through  the  wet  and  dangerous  places. 
The  echoes  from  gun  and  pistol  firing  are  lively,  lingering 
and  at  last  sonorously  explosive: — reverberation,  after 
reverberation,  until  there  is  a  cracking,  thumping  detona- 
tion,very  much  like  the  sound  of  a  blast  as  heard  at  tlie  miners' 
alcove  retreat  during  the  construction  of  the  Sutro  tunnel. 
Then  all  the  responses  seem  to  concentrate  their  vibrations, 
and  roll  along  in  a  peal  of  thunder.  But,  my  friend,  take 
our  word  for  it: — you  will  be  glad  to  get  back  again  to  the 
outer  rim  of  this  world's  creation. 

The  sound  of  a  muffled  bell — it  sounded  as  though 
it  was  muffled — attracted  our  attention  and  excited 
our  curiosity.  What  is  that  for?  striking  every  min- 
ute! It  means  that  all  the  pump  works  are  in  order.  If  any 
one  of  the  numerous  long  pumping  arms  should  get  "out  of 
kilter'',  that  dreadful  bell  would  cease  to  be  heard;  and  its 
silence  would  give  the  necessary  alarm.  This  is  reversing 
the  rule  of  notice,  in  such  case  usually  made  and  provided; 
but  it  is  said  to  work  well, — the  cessation  of  sound  proving 
to  be  a  more  startling  warning  than  a  clang  of  gongs  or 
crash  of  trumpets.  So  it  is  claimed.  There  are  two  large 
churches  at  Falun;  both  of  which  are  worthy  a  visit.  The 
copper-roofed  church — called  the  copper  church — is 
situated  in  the  midst  of  a  pleasant  grove;  once, 
and  now  accasionall}',  used  for  burial  purposes.  St. 
Catherine's  church  has  a  reredos  of  carved  wood.  With 
central  panels  that  represent  (first)  the  lord's  supper,  (second) 
the  crucifixion:  (third)  the  resurrection,  (fourth)  the  ascen- 
sion, and  (fifth)  the  sitting  at  the  right  hind  of  God  the 
Father.  The  paintings  are  excellent,  and  well  repaid  our 
study  of  an  hour  or  more;  sitting  before  the  chancel  and 
gazing  upon  them,  while  at  the  same  time  we  enjoyed  the 
private  practice  and  rehearsing  of  the  accomplished  organ- 
ist. This  reredos  was  presented  to  the  church  in  1669  by 
Maria   Leramens   and    Anthony    Trotxict.      The   sides   are 


AT  FALUN  AND   THENCE   TO   WESTERAS.       197 

adorned  with  statues  of  the  apostles  and  of  many  saints — 
male  and  female.  It  is  not  plastered  over  with  gilt,  as  are 
most  of  the  similar  pieces  in  Sweden.  On  and  about  the 
wine  cup  pulpit,  there  is  no  gilding  whatever,  save  on  the 
sign  of  the  God-head  in  the  ceiling  of  the  sounding  board. 
The  panels  of  the  pulpit  present  the  twelve  stations  of  the 
cross.  There  is  an  hour-glass  and  there  is  a  bible  180  years 
of  age,  on  the  pulpit  shelf. 

We  were  shown  a  priest's  robe  made  in  1785  and  still 
worn,  and  an  altar  cloth  bearing  date  1695. 

There  was  handsome  carving  on  the  pews.  There  was 
seating  capacity  for  three  thousand  persons;  and  with 
benches  in  the  aisles  4,000  listeners  often  sat  within  sound 
of  the  preacher's  voice.  A  church  going,  God-fearing 
people. 

The  schools  and  gymnasiums,  prisons  and  hospitals  are  of 
the  same  pattern,  and  excellence  as  similar  institutions  in 
Stockholm  and  Westeras,  elsewhere  in  this  volume  sufifi- 
ciently  described- 

We  were  to  leave  Falun  by  the  7-0'clock  morning  train; 
and  were  up  for  an  early  review  walk  before  three.  It  was 
light  at  two.  We  went  into  the  beautiful  park  ground  that 
surrounds  Catherine  Kyrka,  and  enjoyed  the  song  of 
the  birds,  while  the  morning  twilight  brightened  into  sun- 
shine. The  swallows  were  a  plague,  because  with  their 
chirping  they  broke  the  harmonious  effects  from  the  sweet 
singers  that  were  in  the  trees  above  us, — joining  in  a  me- 
lodious chorus.  But  who  could  even  scold  these  saucily 
familiar  fellows,  that  came  in  flocks  about  our  seats,  and 
soon  culuvated  an  acquaintance  with  a  little  girl  in  our  com- 
pany, to  the  extent  of  eating  crumbs  from  her  straw  hat,  when 
she  placed  some  pieces  of  bread  on  the  rim. 

And  again,  before  the  hour  of  four,  we  heard  the  voice  of 
the  organ;  its  claironet  pipes  sounding  most  exquisitely  at  our 
distance  from  the  gallery.  What  an  industrious  master  of 
amusement: — Tom  Finch  at  his  instrument  again  ! 

Once  more  we  pass  around  in  front  of  the  church,  and  this 
time  note  the  bronze  doors,  bearing  date  1670.  The  left 
hand  door  was  stamped  Batzer  Hanson;  and  on  the  right 


198  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

hand  door  was  Karmleers  Dotter.  Those  were  the  givers, 
who  gave  213  years  ago. 

Orice  more  we  go  down  the  hill-side  on  which  the  new 
city — that  is,  a  city  of  the  last  two  hundred  years, — modern 
in  aGothtenbergsense — is  situated;  and  make  the  rounds  once 
more  on  the  walks  mid-way  on  the  roasting  hills.  ^Ve  see 
workman  quitting  their  cottages,  to  go  to  their  shift;  and  in 
almost  every  instance  there  is  an  affectionate  parting  at  the 
door.  Often  the  wife  and  husband  kiss  each  other  on  the 
threshold;  sometimes  she  stands  and  waves  a  handkerchief  or 
cloth  at  him  until  he  turns  the  corner  of  the  street  on  which 
they  live;  often  a  little  head  is  seen  popping  out  from  the 
upper  window,  and  then  a  tiny  hand  appears  with  the  ends  of 
a  ribbon  or  the  string  of  a  cap  held  tightly  in  the  fist  and 
shaken. 

Once  through  an  open  window  on  a  level  with  a  street  we 
could  not  avoid  seeing  the  family  on  their  knees,  while  the 
father  read  a  few  verses  from  St.  Luke  and  then  uttered  a 
prayer.  Passing  on  a  little,  to  the  corner  of  the  house,  we 
heard  his  voice.  The  supplication  was  comprehensive  :  for 
all  men,  for  all  nations,  for  the  king  and  queen  of  Sweden 
and  all  governors;  for  all  families;  for  this  family  especially; 
for  the  children  that  they  might  have  holy  habits  and  grow 
up  in  purity  of  heart;  for  the  mother  that  she  might  have 
strength  and  wisdom  for  her  sacred  vocation;  and  for  the 
father,  that  he  might  be  diligent   in  labor,  fervent  in   spirit, 

serving  the  Lord. 

Under  one  of  the  dump-troughs — which  much  resembled  the 
arrangements  that  were  made  in  early  Washoe  da^s  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Savage  and  Gould  and  Curry  mines  in  Virginia  City — we 
saw  a  very  old  man  industriously  at  work  pounding  the  large 
stones  or  bunches,  and  sorting  the  valuable  from  the  dross  with 
great  rapiditv.  We  salute  :  "May  we  ask  how  long  you  have 
been  at  work  in  these  mines.?  "  "Yes,  yes,  nigh  55  years  ;  since 
I  was  a  lad,  mind  you."  "  You  worked  in  the  mines  at  first.?' 
"On  top  at  first ;  in  the  mines  afterwards;  on  top  again.  Sec- 
ond childhood  now  ! "  and  the  old  man  resumed  his  work  with 
sledge  and  laughed  loudly  over  his  wit.  "  May  we  ask  how 
much  you  earn  a  day  now  .?  "   "Yes,  yes.    I  get  two  kroner  and 


AT  FALUN  AND  THENCE    TO   WESTER  AS.        199 

twenty  ore,  but  part  of  that  is  my  pension,  you  see."  And  he 
laughed  again,  more  loudly  and  longer  than  before;  though  we 
could  not  see,  this  time,  how  the  laugh  came  in  on  any  suffi- 
cient basis.  "  55  years  !  How  old  might  you  be.?"  "Nigh 
71.  How  old  are  you.?"  "You  return  questions  like  a 
Yankee."  "  What  is  a  Yankee .? "  We  explained.  He  said 
"Ah,  ha."  We  said  we  were  Americans.  He  made  a  whisthng 
noise  and  exclaimed  "  O  !  O  ! '"  We  added  that  we  were  Cali- 
fornians.  He  dropped  h's  sledge  quickly  ;  looked  at  us 
sharply  ;  came  to  us  with  a  slow,  uncertain,  but  not  tottering 
step— a  distance  of  eight  or  ten  feet, — and  waving  his  hand  said 
in  a  whisper — bowing  his  head  meanwhile — "I  have  got  a 
nephew  out  that  way  somewhere.  You  may  know  him.  But  I  am 
told  that  it  is  a  great  country,  and  that  you  cannot  be  expected 
to  know,  everybody,  any  more  than  we  do  in  Sweden."  We 
took  the  name  :  "  Talenson  ;"  though  he  said  we  could  re- 
member it  without  putting  it  down,  "as  it  was  so  much  like 
Falenson."  In  reply  to  our  questions  we  were  told  that  the  boy 
went  away  when  a  lad  of  sixteen  ;  sailing  in  a  ship  out  of 
Christiana'  Norway,  for  England.  Then  he  reported  that  he 
was  going  on  a  sea  voyage  around  the  Horn  to  California. 
Then  two  letters  had  come  from  him,  dated  at  El  Dorado  (El 
Dorado  county,  we  inferred  from  the  entire  story).  Would  we 
inquire  for  him  and  ask  others  to  do  the  same.  Of  course  we 
promised.  The  first  name  was  Carl.  We  told  him  that  the 
captain  of  the  steamer  Pius,  on  the  Stromshoim  Kanal,  had 
asked  us  to  do  the  same  foi  his  uncle  ;  whose  name,  singular 
enough,  bore  such  a  resemblance  to  his  boy's  name  that  his 
request  must  put  us  in  mind  of  the  captain's  wish,  and  vice- 
versa. 

"  What  are  the  wages  of  workmen  in  the  mines  generally  }  " 
"They  vary  much accordmg to  the  work,"  said  the  old  man,  re- 
suming his  toil,  but  bidding  us  stay  and  talk  with  him  "all  the 
same  " — startling  us  by  using  the  Swedish  phrase  that  corre- 
sponds most  nearly  with  the  comparatively  modern  annex  to 
California  conversational  sentences.  "Some  workmen  get  as 
high  as  three  kroners  and  a  half  Some  get  no  more  than  one 
kroner.  Most  of  them  get  about  two  kroners,  I  think  ;  though 
I  don't  know  so  much  about  it  as  I  did  when  I  worked  below." 


200  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

We  told  him  of  our  conversation  with  Mr,  Norstedt,  in  regard 
to  the  matter;  and  he  said,  "Yes,  yes;  whatever  he  says  is 
exact.  You  cannot  study  anything  out  more  true  than  he  will 
tell  you.  He  is  a  good  man,  and  everybody  was  sorry  when 
he  left  the  mines."  "Are  all  the  mines  healthy .?"  "Yes,  yes," 
uttered  with  great  emphasis.  "Why,  haven't  you  heard  that 
the  king  and  royal  family  come  in  this  neighborhood  in  cholera 
times,  to  avoid  the  plague  .?  We  never  have  cholera  here.  You 
would  get  fat  if  you  stayed  here  a  year.''  Then  he  stepped  back 
and  eyed  us  curiously,  and  added  :  "Mavbe?"  As  if  he  was 
almost  disposed  to  withdraw  his  last  remark.  Of  his  own  motion 
he  went  on  to  say  that  the  workmen  were  well  paid,  or  con- 
sidered that  they  were ;  and  that  they  were  taken  care  of  in 
their  sickness  and  old  age.  There  was  never  any  trouble  on 
the  mine  ;  they  were  good,  firm  and  steady  laborers.  Then 
he  pointed  down  towards  the  town  and  asked  us  if  we  came  up 
by  a  certain  road  or  street.  As  we  replied  in  the  affirmative,  he 
went  on  to  say  :  "  Then  you  passed  by  the  house  of  a  widow 
lady,  whose  husband  left  her  a  half  million  kroners,  And  she  has 
given  5,000  kroners  for  an  orphan  asylum,"  Whether  found- 
ing the  mstitution  or  adding  to  its  endowment,  we  could  not 
make  out.  "You  are  very  handy  in  telling  a  good  piece  of 
rock  from  a  poor  lump.?  "  "  Yes,  yes.  I  ought  to  be  ;  if  1  was 
not  by  this  time,  what  sort  of  a  man  would  I  be.?  "  And  here 
came  another  fit  of  hearty  laughter.  We  parted  with  very  affec- 
tionate adieus. 

Slowly  descending  the  hill  we  overtook  a  girl  who  was  walk- 
ing with  difficulty,  bearing  some  burden  in  a  large  basket.  She 
turned  half  way  around  and  courtesied  as  we  closely  approached ; 
saying  "  God  dag-i-dao;,"  as  the  people  (and  the  girls  especially) 
in  this  section  of  Sweden  alone  can  utter  that  greeting.  My 
friend,  you  know  nothing  of  the  possibilities  of  softness  that 
pertain  to  or  dwell  in  the  letter  G,  until  you  hear  it  pronounced 
by  a  Delecarlian  girl.  When  that  Swedish  coffee  saloon  shall 
have  been  established  in  New  York,  Chicago,  or  San  Francisco, 
by  some  wise  Scandinavian,  with  Siljan  maids  for  attendants,  I 
wish  to  have  you  patronize  it  once  or  twice,  at  least,  until  you 
catch  this  mailable  sound.  I  don't  think  it  can  be  exactly,  or 
I  should  say,  rather,  adequately  described.    The  nearest  I  could 


AT  FALUN  AND  THENCE   TO   WESTER  AS.         201 

come  with  a  hint  about  it  would  be  by  the  illustration  of  a  200- 
pound  steam  trip-hammer  dropping  on  a  base-ball  made  of  lead. 
Yes  !  they  utter  it  with  great  vim,  up  to  the  center  of  the  letter — 
as  it  were,  and  there  the  articulation  sinks  in  delicious  tender- 
ness. 

The  stout  word  with  all  \%  you  ;  which,  as  before  stated,  they 
alone  in  this  country  commonly  use  in  addressing  strangers  and 
each  other.  In  giving  conversations  elsewhere  I  have,  of  course, 
set  down  iheyou  as  a  proper  translation  ;  but  it  is  rarely  used 
outside  of  Delecarlia,  in  ordinary  communications,  by  the 
peasantry,  when  speaking  to  elders  or  employers. 

If  you  will  please  to  turn  to  the  map  of  Southern  and  Central 
Sweden,  you  will  readily  lollow  our  route  from  Falun  to 
Westeras,  which  we  travelled  at  an  expense  of  a  cent  and  a 
quarter  to  one  cent  and  a  half  per  mile. 

Returning  to  Borlange  and  revisiting  some  of  the  houses  built 
for  renting  to  the  workmen  in  the  forges,  we  were  less  favorably 
impressed  with  them  than  at  first  Where  the  family  exceeds 
four  persons — increases  beyond  man  and  wife  and  two  children 
— the  upper  apartments  are  very  much  too  small  ;  as  in  such 
case  the  folks  are  actually  crowded  for  space.  The  homes  of 
some  of  the  statkarlars  at  Stromsholm  are  preferable  in  this  re- 
spect to  the  provision  made  here,  when  the  demands  in  num- 
bers rise  above  the  limit  of  space  for  comfort  in  the  rooms  as- 
signed. 

From  Borlange  we  ticket  anew,  to  Sala  ;  and  again  purchase 
cards  for  Tilberga.  At  Krylbo,  a  junction  station,  we  have  to 
change  cars,  to  reach  Sala  ;  leaving  at  Krylbo  the  border  line 
of  Delecarlia. 

And  here  we  cannot  forbear  to  mention  that  many  writers, 
including  some  guide-book  authors,  deplore  the  flict  that  the 
people  of  Delecarlia  as  a  rule  own  the  land  which  they  cultivate  ; 
sometimes  saying  with  regretful  intimations  that  there  are  and 
can  be  few  rich  men  in  this  section  on  this  account.  The  most 
independent,  the  best  contented  people  that  we  have  found  in 
Sweden — taking  communities,  towns,  villages,  and  districts  into 
consideration — are  in  Dalarne  ;  and  one  great  reason  for  this 
probably  exists  in  the  division  and  subdivision  of  land  that  has 
been  so  much  and  so  strangely  bemoaned.     How  true  is  the 


202 


NORTHERN  EUROPE 


SOUTHERN    SWEDEN. 

0     FOR    C.A  SUMNER'S 
-1^ ^'  "TRAVELS    *C.'  1 


MAP  OF  SOUTHERN  SWEDEN. 


A    WEEK  AT  WESTERAS.  203 

saying,  engraved  in  our  old  Latin  copy-books:  "The  great 
estates  destroyed  Rome." 

Sala  contains  the  great  silver  mine  of  Sweden  ;  at  one  time 
yielding  $800,000  per  year.  Now  the  product  is  less  than  two 
thousand  pounds  of  assayed  pure  metal.  Once,  for  its  riches, 
it  was  styled  the  '*  Gem  of  the  nation. " 

At  Tilberga,  where  there  is  yet  another  transfer  of  passengers 
and  baggage  destined  for  the  Koping  route,  we  can  see  in  the 
distance  the  crown-and-cross  topped  steeple  of  Westeras  cathe- 
dral. It  is  the  most  beautiful  shaft  in  the  kingdom.  And  what 
is  more  to  be  said  in  its  favor,  it  improves  upon  acquaintance. 
You  never  tiro  of  looking  at  it ;  as  some  one  once  memorably 
said  to  me  with  respect  to  the  steeple  of  Park  Street  Church,  in 
Boston. 


XVIII. 
A  WEEK  AT  WESTERAS. 

As  WE  ride  from  Sala  to  Westeras,  we  hear  many  prelimin- 
ary bargains — which  is  the  nearest  we  can  come  to  the  Swed- 
ish of  it — for  service  during  the  coming  year.  Westeras  is  the 
only  city  in  the  country  that  still  retains  the  practice  of  hav- 
ing a  market  day  for  service  ;  and  employers  and  laborers 
are  already  on  the  look-out  for  their  "relations,"  during  the 
year  beginning  on  the  coming  25th  of  October. 

Last  Sunday  was  labor  market  day  here.  There  were  thir- 
teen small  steamers  at  the  wharves,  which  came  in  gaily 
dressed,  with  every  flag  except  the  star-spangled  banner  flying 
over  their  decks.  Most  of  those  who  were  brought  here  in 
these  vessels  were  in  one  or  the  other  of  the  two  classes  par- 
ticularly referred  to  ;  but  there  were  also  scores  of  peddlers, 
a  Punch  and  Judy  and  acrobat  show,  and  a  hand  organ.  The 
principal  streets  were  crowded  at  ten  o'clock  ;  and  the  spec- 
tacle somewhat  resembled  that  whicli  is  presented  '\xi  several 
well-known  French   melodramas  and  comic  operas.     Both 


204 


NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


parties  are  firmly  bound  under  the  law,  when  the  articles  shall 
have  been  once  signed,  and  severe  penalties  are  attached  to 
tne  offense  of  signing  more  than  one  contract,  and  taking  ad- 
vance pay  thereon — or  "jumping  a  bounty,"  as  we  would 
say. 

I  was  surprised  by  the  amount  of  drunkenness  that  was  ex- 
hibited on  the  streets  during  the  afternoon  of  this  Sunday, 
and  the  manner  in  which  this  condition  of  inebriety  was 
manifested — almost  uniformly — was  to  us  an  unusual  sight, 
and  therefore  somewhat  interesting.  You  will  approach  a 
man  who  is  apparently  perfectly  sober,  until  just  a  moment 
before  you  have  come  even  with  him  on  your  path.  Suddenly 
he  will  spring  out  in  front  of  you  and  begin  to  caper  about  in 
a  most  fantastic  and  ridiculous  fashion.  If  we  had  not  had  a 
warning  about  this  kind  of  demonstration  by  the  twist-waltz 
that  was  performed  before  our  eyes  in  the  waiting  shed  at 
Gagnes  Kyrka,  we  should  have  been  very  much  alarmed,  un- 
doubtedly, by  the  first  toper  that  we  met  on  this  market  day 
in  Westeras.  It  is  said  that  these  subjects  of  King  Brandy- 
wine  are  always  harmless  if  you  simply  stand  still  and  look  at 
them  and  say  nothing  ;  but  that  is  what  has  been  said  about 
wasps  and  bumble-bees — and  we  know  that  the  saying  as  ap- 
plied to  the  latter  is  not  true  ?  So  why  should  it  impeach  a 
man's  character  for  the  possession  of  the  average  amount  of 
courage,  if  he  confesses  that  being  unprovided  with  any  sort 
of  a  weapon  of  defence,  he  is  or  was  a  little  nervous  in  such 
a  presence  ?  But  what  was  more  surprising  and  absolutely 
uncomfortable,  was  to  be  obliged  to  confront,  every  now  and 
then,  during  the  afternoon  of  this  day,  a  drunken  soldier,  in 
full  uniform  and  armed  and  equipped  as  the  law  directs. 
Troopers  with  tall  hats,  adorned  with  a  bunch  of  feathers,  and 
wearing  bayonet  swords,  were  frequently  seen  reeling  along 
through  the  streets  and  lanes  of  the  city  ;  and  pouring  forth 
oaths  and  obscene  expressions  of  the  most  shocking  nature. 
And  this  in  Sweden  ;  and  this  with  officers  looking  on,  and 
apparently — and  really  as  we  afterwards  ascertained — not  even 
so  much  as  making  a  note  for  correction  or  reproof.  When  we 
spoke  of  the  matter  to  the  worthy  Keeper  of  the  castle,  Andrew 
P.  Erickson,  he  answered,    ' '  Yay,  "   in  his  saddest  cadence  ; 


A    WEEK  AT    WESTER  AS. 


205 


only  apologizing  or  excusing,  by  adding,  "  There  is  much  al- 
lowed that  ought  not  to  be,  on  market  day.  It  would  not  be 
permitted  at  any  other  time." 

And  now,  before  I  speak  of  the  city  and  of  the  castle  or  slottet 
of  Westeras,  a  word  direct  of  its  keeper,  to  whom  I  am  indebted 


A.    p.    ERICKSON,    KEEPER    OF    WESTERAS    CASTLE. 

for  many  kindnesses  and  much  information— whose  name  I  have 
just  written.  For  thirty-three  years  he  has  been  in  His  Majesty's 
employ  ;  and  with  five  years  more  of  continuous  service  he  is 
entitled  to  his  pension — equal  to  the  pay  he  is  now  receiving. 


2,  6  ^OR  THERN  E  UROPE. 

He  agrees  that  soldiers  are  not  treated,  at  the  expiration  of  their 
terms  of  service  and  in  their  years  of  decrepitude,  as  they  should 
be  by  the  government,  which  is  fairly  considerate  if  not  bounti- 
ful to  the  officers  in  both  the  military  and  civil  departments.  I 
see  that  everybody  in  the  city  takes  off  his  hat  with  a  very  re- 
spectful and  often  deferential  bow  to  Andrew  Erickson  ;  and 
that,  on  account  of  no  possible  motive  other  than  the  one  I  have 
often  heard  assigned — heartfelt  personal  esteem  for  such  an  up- 
right and  excellent  man.  I  find  that  he  has  among  those  who 
know  him  well  a  title  like  unto  that  of  Mesdames  Stackelberg 
and  Olberg — "  The  Man  of  Good  Deeds."  We  asked  a  porter 
at  the  station  the  day  we  arrived,  if  he  knew  rhe  ca  tie  keeper  ; 
and  the  reply  was,  "  Know  him  ?  Who  don't  ?  One  of  the  best 
men  that  ever  lived." 

Westeras  is  now  a  city  of  about  7,000  inhabitants,  and  is  what 
we  would  call  a  state  capital.  It  is  also  the  residence  of  a  bishop. 
Three  hundred  years  ago  it  contained  twice  as  many  inhabitants, 
and  its  corporate  limits  and  its  line  of  compactly  built  houses 
extended  half  a  mile  or  more  over  the  hill  on  the  west — where 
there  are  now  very  few  dwellings.  The  site  of  a  large  Domin- 
ican monastery  and  of  a  convent  is  pointed  out  to  the  traveller, 
on  the  road  to  Dingtuna  ;  and  the  stories  of  fairy  and  witch 
appearances  in  this  neighborhood,  with  which  I  have  been  re- 
galed, would  themselves  fill  a  volume.  It  is  said  that  on  All  hal- 
low eve — between  3  and  11 — gobblings  dressed  in  the  garb  of 
monks  have  often  been  seen  (and  testified  about)  by  persons 
of  the  highest  character  for  sobriety  and  veracity.  As  I  have 
said  once  before,  I  think,  it  is  not  wise  to  deny  the  possibility 
of  these  manifestations,  in  any  Swedish  company  ;  for  with 
many  of  my  most  intelligent  acquaintances  hereabouts,  this  is 
a  matter  of  serious  belief.  They  say  that  the  word  supersti- 
tion has  no  just  application  to  the  acceptance  of  these  accounts 
as  true. 

Eleven  national  diets  have  been  held  here,  at  one  of  which 
the  succession  to  the  throne  was  settled  on  the  heirs  of  Gusta- 
vus  Wasa. 

The  present  city  is  very  prettily  located  by  the  North  shore 
of  Lake  Malaren,  on  the  side  of  a  gently  sloping  hill,  facing  to 
the  Southeast  :  on  the  edge  of  a  little  meadow  valley.     It  is 


J    IVEEK  AT  IVESTERAS. 


207 


closelv  built,  and  the  streets  are  from  fifteen  to  twenty  feet. 
The  VVesteras  River  runs  through  the  centre  of  the  city  and  is 
utilized  near  its  mouth  by  cross-logs  eight  feet  high,  Avhich 
turn  the  water  under  a  flour  mill,  v/hose  wheels — and  this  I 
must  mention — are  run  so  cjuietly  that  their  noise  is  drowned 
by  the  falling  of  the  surplus  water  (itself  a  pleasing  sight) 
over  the  wide  gable-roof-shape  dam. 

The  sidewalks  are  narrow,  as  you  might  suppose  ;  rarely 
over  three  feet  wide  ;  and  they  are  entirely  wanting  along  sev- 
eral of  the  handsomest  blocks  in  the  city.  The  streets  are 
very  clean,  and  as  might  be  expected  from  the  location  and  the 
fact  of  tidiness,  the  health  of  the  inhabitants  is  officially  an- 
nounced as  "  remarkably  good." 

The  houses  are  usually  two  stories  high,  with  ceilings  of 
seven  to  eight  feet  :  and  the  roofs  are  uniformly  painted  that 
bright  red  which  gives  such  a  pictursque  appearance  to  towns, 
villages  and  single  districts — especially  when  seen  at  a  distance, 
and  in  a  view  which  embraces  a  large  or  diversified  landscape. 
The  material  from  Avhich  this  lively  and  lasting  color  is  made 
comes  from  the  "  drippings  "  of  the  copper  mines  at  Falun. 

The  market  square  is  situated  in  the  middle  of  the  city,  and 
is  about  two  hundred  feet  across,  both  ways — a  square  in  fact 
as  well  as  name.  , 

On  the  ridge  of  the  hill  to  the  West,  a  Prospect  Park  has 
been  laid  out,  embracing  some  two  hundred  acres  ;  and  as  it 
commands  from  the  elevation  of  thirty  feet  a  view  of  the  en- 
tire city  and  of  the  meadows  and  hills  to  the  East  for  a  dis- 
tance of  twelve  miles,  and  also  presents  a  picture  of  an  arm 
of  the  Malaren,  with  no  less  than  eight  islands  of  from  one 
to  three  miles  in  circumference  within  the  scope  of  vision,  the 
charming  nature  of  the  scenery  can  be  faintly  imagined. 

The  old  Castle,  in  one  room  of  which  I  am  writing,  dates 
from  the  12th  century  ;  and  wasonce  the  property  of  a  "  rob- 
ber knight,"  also  Erickson  by  name  [how  unlike  my  amiable 
and  hospitable  friend  !  who  is  sitting  not  far  from  the  table 
on  which  I  write  these  words,  reading  the  last  number  of  the 
Lans  tidings-blad  ;]  who  is  described  in  ancient  chronicles 
as  the  "  Terror  of  the  district."  It  was  taken  by  Gustavus  in 
the  i6th  century,  and  strongly  fortified  ;  five  towers  being 


20S 


.VOA'  rilERX  E  UROPE. 


added  to  it.  These  additions  were  destroyed  by  fire  in  17 12. 
It  is  now  and  for  many  years  has  been  the  residence  of  the 
Governor,  and  contains  a  hall  in  which  the  local  legislature 
meets  on  the  call  of  the  executive. 


INTERIOR    OF    WESTERAS    CATHEDRAL. 

The  legislative  chamber  has  seats  for  62  persons  ;  and  is 
about  50  by  40  feet  in  floor  dimensions.  As  in  other  legisla- 
tive halls  in  Sweden  that  I  have  visited,  including  those  at 
Stockholm  where  there  is  a  rack  in  front  of  the  benches  chair, 
there  are  no  desks  provided  for  members  ;  but  the  sitting, 
whether  by  bench  or  chairs,  is  very  comfortable. 


A    WEEK  AT  IVESTERAS.  209 

Immediately  over  the  room  in  which  I  am  writing  is  the 
apartment  in  which  Eric  XIV  was  confined  by  ins  brother 
John — the  sometimes  insanely  savage  Eric  who  was  after- 
wards poisoned  at  Orbyhus,  by  the  hand  of  his  equally  cruel 
relation.  It  is  a  room  about  16  by  20  feet,  with  a  ceiling  of 
not  more  than  6  feet  and  6  inches  in  heigth.  Immediately 
above  his  place  of  confinement  his  wife  was  imprisoned  for 
sometime  ;  until  it  was  discovered  that  he  could  communi- 
cate with  her  by  signals  from  the  windows. 

About  three  hundred  rods  to  the  West  of  the  Castle,  and 
over  the  brow  of  the  hill,  is  Eric's  walk  ;  the  little  circle,  still 
marked  with  the  stones  that  were  his  bounds  which  he  paced 
for  exercise — dragging  a  heavy  ball  and  chain  and  guarded 
by  seven  relatives  of  the  nobles  that  he  himself  had  caused  to 
be  butchered. 

The  Castle  is  four  stories  high  ;  and  from  its  present  loca- 
tion and  from  the  authentic  descriptions  of  its  former  sur- 
roundings, must  have  been  a  strong  tower  of  defense  in  the 
days  of  Josse  and  his  immediate  descendants — between  the 
thirteenth  and  the  fifteenth  centuries. 

Formerly  the  prisoners  of  the  county  were  kept  here, 
their  quarters  being  under  and  above  ground.  One  must 
wonder  at  the  industry  and  skill  of  the  Jack  Shephards  who 
managed  sometimes  to  escape  from  here,  despite  the  eight 
solid  feet  of  masonary  or  the  doubled  locked  and  barred 
doors  that  had  to  be  passed  through  before  exit  was  obtained. 

Immediately  to  the  East  of  the  Castle,  and  between  it  and 
the  river,  is  a  beautifully  laid  out  park  ;  under  whose  trees 
the  people  are  free  to  walk  or  sit  and  enjoy,  in  a  quiet  way, 
their  Summer  evenings.  But  picnic  parties  are  not  permitted 
on  the  premises,  and  niuch  it  grieves  my  good  friend,  the 
keeper,  when  he  must  send  word  to  ladies  who  come  from  a 
distance  and  who,  unacquainted  with  the  rules  in  this  par- 
ticular, are  about  to  spread  their  table-cloths  on  the  grass 
preparatory  to  the  laying  out  of  a  iuncheon  from  their 
mammoth  baskets.  I  have  several  times  been  a  witness  to 
the  manifestations  of  this  distress  of  spirit.  But  the  Gover- 
nor is  inexorable  on  this  point,  and  the  keeper  must  "see  to 
it." 


2IO  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

To  the  right  of  this  open  ground,  and  nearer  the  lake 
water's  edge,  is  the  large  garden  of  the  establishment  ;  com- 
prising, I  should  say,  about  thirty  acres.  Here  almost  every 
variety  of  fruit  and  berry  is  grown  ;  and  there  is  a  hot-bed 
cultivation  of  the  salad  plants.  Strawberries  are  here  brought 
to  California  dimensions ;  and  as  for  gooseberries  !  I  never 
knew  what  the  bush  was  capable  of  doing  before,  either  with 
respect  to  size  or  lusciousness  of  product.  It  is  claimed  that 
Sweden  takes  the  prize  with  this  growth,  in  every  particular  ; 
but  I  have  arranged  for  some  cuttings  for  a  trial  under  the 
fructifying  influence  of  our  glorious  climate.  We  shall  see 
about  this.  But  I  must  first  tell  you  plainly,  that  here  are 
gooseberries  an  inch  and  a  half  in  circumference — I  have 
measured  some  of  them — that  fairly  melt  in  the  mouth  ;  having 
a  flavor  that  is  entirely  new  to  the  taste  of  the  foreigner,  and  of 
an  excellent  quality. 

Westeras  is  so  famous  for  its  cucumbers  that  many  of  my 
readers  who  are  not  Swedes  have  undoubtedly  heard  of  it  in 
that  conneciion  before  now.  In  fact,  its  people  go  by  the 
Swedish  name  for  tiie  vegetable,  as  Ohioans  are  sometimes 
called  Buckeyes.  I  was  disappointed  in  this  article  of  diet.  I 
had  great  expectations  ;  as  one  very  fond  of  the  American  speci- 
men. I  propose  to  swap  some  of  our  seeds  for  the  gooseberry 
cuttings. 

The  Cathedral,  aside  from  its  steeple — the  highest  (310  feet) 
and  the  handsomest  in  Sweden — is  an  imposing  edifice.  It  is 
300  feet  long  and  1 50  feet  wide.  The  altar  pieces  consist  of 
small  carved  images  ofpersonages  supposed  to  have  been  present 
at  the  birth-place  and  at  the  crucifixion  and  at  other  remarkable 
scsnes  in  the  life  of  Christ.  They  are  held  in  cases,  but  the 
doors  are  always  swung  back — the  doors  themselves  contain- 
ing half  of  the  sets  of  figures  that  are  here  displayed.  At 
first  the  whole  appearance  strikes  one  as  very  odd  and  even 
grotesque  ;  but  upon  close  examination,  the  marvelous  art  of 
the  chiselers  and  moulders  is  discovered,  and  the  feeling 
changes  to  one  of  great  if  not  reverent  interest. 

Svante  Sture  and  Erick  XIV  lie  buried  here  ;  the  latter 
under  a  magnificent  sarcophagus  of  green  granite. 


A    WEFK  AT  WESTER  AS.  2ir 

Over  one  of  the  panel  monuments  to  the  former  bishop  of 
this  See,  or  in  the  midst  of  its  effigy  -work,  is  the  figure  of  a 
women,  in  a  half  recumbent  position,  and  an  attitude  of  tlirow- 
ing  something  from  her.  Her  face  is  the  face  of  a  mahgant 
devil.  This  is  said  to  represent  a  "  noble  woman  "  who  mur- 
dered three  of  her  children,  by  tossing  them  one  after  the 
another — jjerhaps  on  different  occasions — into  the  flames. 

When  she  cast  the  last  of  her  progeny — an  infant  of  three 
years — into  the  fire-place,  it  is  related  that  she  heard  a  laugh, 
echoing  her  fiendish  screech  of   delight.     A   few  days  after- 
wards one  of  her  servants  inadvertantly  committed  an  act  for 
which  he  knew  he  would  be  punished  so  soon  as  it  was  dis- 
covered.    So  he  resolved  to  make  a  clean  breast  of  it,  and 
take  his  penalty  at  once.     He  went  to  his  mistress — who  was 
now  a  widow — and  asked  that  judgment  be  passed  immedi- 
ately.    She   bade   him  go  into  the  forest,  adjacent  to  her 
chateau,  and  cut  down  the  largest  tree  he  could   find,  and 
drag  it,  limbs  foremost,  to  the  gate  of  her  residence  grounds. 
The  servant  went  forth   as  commanded,  and   while  hunting 
for  &   seguoia,  a  little  man  came  out  of  the  trunk  of  an  elm  of 
considerable  dimensions,  and  told   him  that  the  tree  he  had 
just  left  was  the  one  he  should  put  his  ax  to  if  he  wanted  the 
biggest   on  the  estate.  The  chopping  was  accordingly  begun, 
and  when  the  tree  was  felled  the  servant  said,  "  My  yoke   of 
oxen  can  never  draw  that  tree,  top  foremost.   They  could  not 
draw  it  a  yard."  "  I  will  help  you,  "  said  the  little  man;  and  as 
he. spoke,  ne  put  nis  shoulder  under  one  of  tlie  largest  limbs 
and  told  the  servant  to  do  the  same  under  one  of  the  lightest. 
And  together  they  both  pulled  the  immense  giant  of   the 
woods  to  the   front  gate  of  my  lady's  park.     When  they  ar- 
rived at  this  point  there  was  a  loud  noise  made  by  the  foliage 
and  small  twigs  dashing  against  the  fence — for  the  little  man 
went   through   the  gate  and  dragged  the  tree-top  close  up 
against  the  stone  posts.     Thereui)on  the  mistress  looked  out 
ot  one  of  her  bed-room  windows,  and  at  the  same  instant  the 
little  man  gave  a  kind  of  a  chuckling  laugh.     The"  noble 
woman  ''  screamed  ;  for  she  saw  that  her  time  had  come. 
The  little  man,  whom  she  said  she  recognized  as  her  former 
husband — whom  she  was  also  suspected  of  having  poisoned — 


212 


NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


but  who  was  in  point  of  fact  the  devil  himself,  told  her  plainly 
that  she  must  dress  herself  and  come  down  and  go  with  him 
into  the  woods.  She  said  she  would  do  so  ;  but  requested 
permission  to  have  her  own  horses  and  carriage  brought  out; 
and  also  asked  the  privilege  of  being  attended  by  her  foot- 
man and  driver.  This  was  acceded  to  ;  but  she  was  told  to 
make  haste.  Her  attendants  were  also  instructed  that  they 
must  all  ride  in  front  and  look  at  the  lady,  while  they  were 
accompanying  her  on  this  trip.  When  they  reached  the  woods, 
or  the  part  of  the  road  that  entered  the  woods,  they  forgot 
their  warning.  The  instant  that  they  looked  in  the  direction 
where  their  mistress  and  the  little  man  sat,  the  twain  disap- 
peared and  were  seen  no  more.  The  servants  jumped  from 
the  box  and  ran  back  to  the  chateau.  No  one  could  be  per- 
suaded to  approach  the  woods  for  many  days.  Finally,  when 
some  one  did  muster  up  courage  to  go  and  see  what  had  be- 
come of  the  team,  they  found  that  the  horses  had  stood 
still  untill  they  starved  to  death.  And  under  the  carriage 
were  the  bones  of  this  fiendish  woman.  Her  remains  were 
taken  and  buried  beneath  the  church  ;  and  the  bishop  who 
was  alive  and  reigning  at  the  time  of  this  occurrance  caused 
this  effigy  to  be  carved  and  set  up  on  the  walls  of  the  sacred 
edifice.  After  his  death  and  agreeable  to  his  wishes,  it  was 
assigned  its  admonitory  place  above  his  cenotaph. 

The  parish  in  which  this  w^oman  dwelt  was  called  Pintrop  ; 
and  the  forest  in  v/hich  she  is  said  to  have  perished  still  ex- 
ists unhewn. 

1  give  one  version  of  this  remarkable  story — and  they  are 
all  substantially  alike; — and  I  add  that  it  is  implicitly  believed 
in — so  far  as  its  main  features  are  concerned  including  the 
appearance  of  the  devil  and  his  doings — by  a  majority  of  the 
very  intelligent  people  of  Westeras  with  whom  I  have  had  the 
honor  and  pleasure  of  conversing. 

Yesterday  I  saw  the  bishop  of  the  diocese.  He  was  about 
to  go  on  a  pastoral  visit.  He  is  over  eighty  years  of  age  ; 
but  he  preached  in  the  cathedral  a  few  Sundays  ago.  He 
very  much  resembles  the  late  Rev.  Dr.  W.  A.  Scott,  of  San 
Francisco. 


A    WEEK  AT  WESTERAS.  213 

On  an  eminence  to  the  rear  of  the  castle — at  the  end  of  a 
liill  or  ridge  at  the  back  of  the  town — is  the  county  hospital, 
the  insane  asylum,  and  the  prison  of  the  county.  We  visited 
them  all  ;  and  found  much  of  interest  in  them.  The  hospital 
patients  are  received  and  taken  care  of  for  forty  ore  or  about 
ten  cents  per  day.  The  prison  is  conducted  on  the  solitary 
confinement  and  silent  system.  Incarceration  here  is  for  com- 
paratively light  offences,  and  does  not  extend  beyond  two 
years.  Visitors  are  not  permitted  to  speak  in  a  loud  tone  of 
voice  when  in  the  corridors.  There  were  thirty-two  prisoners 
in  the  cells  when  we  paid  our  visit  ;  all  engaged  in  making 
match-boxes.  The  prisoners  get  four  ore  out  of  every  forty 
ore  that  they  can  make  ;  and  some  of  the  convicts  become  so 
expert  that  they  can  make  twelve  and  sixteen  ore  a  day  by 
their  pastings.  The  prison  is  said  to  be  more  than  self-sup- 
porting ;  and  none  of  the  inmates  desire  to  return  to  it.  At 
no  time  do  the  prisoners  see  each  other  ;  their  isolation  being 
perfect  and  uninterrupted.  Preaching  on  Sundays  is  listened 
to  by  all  confined  here;  as  the  doors  of  their  cells  are  partly 
opened  and  the  minister  stands  in  the  centre  of  the  corridor 
hall,  at  a  point  where  all  can  distinctly  hear  his  voice. 

The  day  before  we  left  Westeras  was  the  great  final  market 
day  of  the  Summer  ;  servants  destinations  being  then  made  to 
the  third  and  fourth  degree,  for  the  season.  The  market  square 
and  the  immediately  adjoining  streets,  and  the  two  blocks 
of  forty  to  sixty  feet  width  before  the  court  house  and  on  the 
bank  of  the  river,  were  packed  with  little  market  wagons, 
stalls,  and  vegetable  baskets  as  is  usual-l)-  the  case  on  the  days 
of  similar  appointment,  but  the  peculiarity  of  this  day's  offer- 
ing for  sale  above  every  other  that  we  have  witnessed  in  any 
part  of  the  country,  was  a  display  in  the  pig  line  ;  which  was 
very  large  and  attractive.  Many  hundreds  "of  little  squealers 
entitled  to  come  within  the  song  of  the  baby  melodies,  Avere 
brought  to  town  and  presented  to  the  consideration  of  the 
purchasing  populace.  Of  course  there  was  a  concert  that  was 
mostly  chorus,  and  not  unpleasant  for  a  short  and  enquiring 
audience.  Going  about  as  a  spectator,  I  soon  found  myself 
the  centre  of  observation,  in  the  ordinary  range  of  market 
place  vision.     "What!     An  American ! "      "Yes;    and    from 


214 


NOR  THERN  E  UROPE. 


California."  "He  cannot  want  to  bu}'  a  pig!  "  Some  of  the 
bv-standers  laughed  with  me  at  this  remark;  but  the  person 
who  uttered  it  meant  what  he  said,  in  perfect  good  faith.  He 
was  bound  to  make  sure  of  the  possible;  for  he  followed  me 
up  and  said:  "Here,  if  Herr  California  wants  a  pig  that  is  fit 
for  killing,  this  is  the  man  to  buy  of.  Herr  California  must 
know  that  it  will  not  do  to  fatten  a  pig  for  the  market  in  this 
countr}',  unless  he  is  to  be  killed  shortly.  My  pigs  are  table 
and  there  are  very  few  in  the  square." 

I  asked  others  if  the  sales  were  as  good  as  usual  ;  and  they 
all  replied  in  the  negative.  They  said  that  the  farmers  had 
held  their  stock  back  late  in  hope  of  better  prices.  They  had 
glutted  the  market  of  Westeras,  on  the  pig  staple.  The  little 
porkers  were  mostly  of  the  Berkshire  breed,  and  they  were  all 
disposed  of,  notwithstanding  the  com.plaint  of  over-supply, 
before  five  o'clock.  Most  of  them  were  severally  bagged  and 
carried  off  on  the  back  of  the  buyer. 

Home-knit  stockings  of  most  excellent  quality,  and  coarse 
woven  dress-goods  that  seemed  to  justify  the  assertion  for  once 
that  "they  will  wear  a  life-time,"  are  on  the  little  single  cot-bed 
size  tables  of  the  old  ladies,  who  took  their  store  stations  by 
the  river  side  under  the  beautiful  spreading  horse-chesnut  trees. 
Their  children,  their  daughters,  took  adjacent  stands,  and 
offered  candies,  of  Stockholm  and  of  home  manufacture — 
exposed  in  trays  or  seductively  covered  by  labels  that  bore 
pictures  of  Jenny  Lind,  Christine  Nilson,  Clara  Louise  Kellogg 
and  Miss  Thursby,  and  unknown  beauties.  These  packages 
contained  "mottoes"  of  the  most  moral  and  even  religious  type; 
and  there  were  wound  around  some  one  of  the  pieces  a  plam  and 
plump  invitation  to  be  wed — no  equivocation  about  it.  Here 
are  speciinens :  "Be  virtuous  and  you  will  be  happy," 
"Industry  will  have  its  reward,"  and  "lam  ready  to  marry  in 
November,"  "What  are  are  you  coming  to  see  me  so  often  for  ?" 
"I  have  loved  you  for  a  long  time."  The  girls  also 
had  for  sale  large  bandanna  and  cotton  handkerchiefs;  Avith 
strong  colors  laid  in  remarkable  portraits  or  scenery.  The 
latter — twenty-five  ore  or  six  cent  articles — were  of  that  size  and 
of  that  brilliancy  in  color  of  red  and  yellow,  that  reminded  me 
forcibly  of  the  calico  that  was  sent  to  the  women  of  the  Washoe 


A    WEEK  AT  WESTER  AS. 


21S 


and  Piute  tribes  of  Indians,  by  the  government  of  Uncle  Sam, 
through  the  Walker  river  reservation  agency  in  1862.  [It  was 
supi^osed  that  if  anything  cou/J  secure  and  maintain  peace 
with  the  Nevada  savages,  that  distribution  would  do  it.  And 
relatively  speaking,  it  did.] 

The  death  of  Alex.  T.  Sundin,  of  Westera.s,  a  member  of 
the  king's  Wasa  order,  is  announced  in  the  Westmanlands 
Lands  Tidings — a  copy  of  which  lies  before  me.  He  left  by 
testament  to  the  ])ub]ic  schools  and  charitable  institutions  of 
the  city  200,000  rix  dollars.  Ke  hanged  himself,  but  although 
he  had  many  brothers  and  sisters  and  nieces  and  nephews 
surviving,  no  one  of  them  came  forward  to  challenge  the  legal 
accrediting  and  carrying  out  of  the  will,  on  the  ground  of 
hmacy  or  undue  influence  over  a  weak  mind.  There  are  two 
lawyers  in  Westeras,  but  they  did  not  incite  any  one  to  dispute 
the  validity  of  the  will,  and  were  not  called  upon  to  do  so  in 
this  instance. 

In  Westeras  as  in  all  other  places  of  equal  size  that  I  have 
visited,  and  in  many  towns  of  not  over  two  thousand  inhabit- 
ants, there  are  public  baths,  which  are  entitled  to  consider- 
ation by  our  Lick  estate  trustees.  The  price  is  a  kroner  for  a 
double  room,  fifty  ore  for  a  bath  tub  alcove.  Attendance  is 
precisely  the  same  in  both  places.  The  very  poor  have  tickets 
given  them  by  the  corporation  authorities.  For  this  sum,  in 
either  divison,  you  have  not  only  an  abundant  supply  of 
water  at  any  temjjerature  desired,  coming  through  a  faucet 
that  at  your  will  or  that  of  your  waitress  gives  a  large  stream, 
but  you  have  also  as  much  brushing  and  rubbing  as  at  Miller's 
Hotel  in  New  York  or  at  our  San  Francisco  Hamman  hot 
air  rotunda,  or  at  Dr.  Zeilc's  establishment.  The  attendance 
is  by  women  of  middle  age  exclusively. 

The  washerwomen  of  the  town  have  a  large  house,  of  the 
very  best  construction — 130  by  40  feet — and  18  feet  high- 
through  which  a  race-v.^ay  for  water  is  laid  in  granite.  It  is 
heated  thoroughly  in  winter.  This  is  free  to  all  who  will  come 
and  wash — and  be  or  make  clean. 

Before  we  departed  from  Westeras,  we  took  a  farewell  walk 
through  the  charming  little  city  park;  in  the  Western  side  of 
which,  on  a  mound  about  fifteen  feet  high,  and  on  a  pedastal 


2l6 


XOJn^HER.V   EC  ROPE. 


of  eight  feet,  is  a  mammoth  bust  of  the  great  Gustavus  Wasa. 
On  this  spot  it  is  said  that  the  ilhistrious  captain  addressed 
the  people  of  Westeras,  on  one  occasion  at  least ;  and  I  have 
read  somewhere  a  very  eloquent  speech  attributed  to  him,  as 
having  been  uttered  at  this  place.     The  keeper  of  the  caslle 


STATUE    OF    GUSTAVUS    WASA. 

remarked  that  "  tradition  was  better  than  history — more  ve- 
racious and  candid — with  reference  to  what  was  really  said  by 
Gustavus  from  this  eminence.  Perhaps  he  did  say  all  or 
much  that  the  books  put  down  as  words  spoken  by  him  on 
the  Westeras  mound  ;  but  he  also  said  that  which  the  books 


A    WEEK  AT  WESTER  AS. 


217 


do  not  record.  He  said  that  many  before  him  would  Hke  to 
see  the  axe  in  him,  as  he  well  knew;  but  they  did  not  care  to 
be  seen  with  their  hands  on  the  helve  !  "  From  father  to 
son,  this  plain  sentence  has  come  down  to  the  present  gener- 
ation :  and  on  my  inquiringly  repeating  it  elsewhere  in 
Sweden,  I  sometimes  found  that  it  was  known  ;  and  once  in 
Nassjo  I  heard  it  referred  to  with  a  sentiment  of  pride  at  the 
dauntless  courage  of  the  hero.  But  some  Lund  Professors  said 
that  they  had  never  heard  it  until  I  repeated  it,  and  they  did 
not  believe  that  Gustavus  ever  uttered  it. 

From  Westeras  to  Upskla  the  shortest  route  is  direct  by  rail  ; 
but  for  several  reasons  which  appear  of  themselves  in  the  course 
of  this  sketch,  the  preferable  passage  between  the  points,  to 
those  for  whom  a  few  hours  additional  time  is  not  of  consid- 
erable consequence,  is  via  the  city  of  Stockholm.  At  ten 
o'clock  p.  M.,  in  the  month  of  August — not  yet  dark  enough 
to  require  candles — ^just  as  the  wicks  of  the  lighters  of  the 
lamps  are  being  turned  up — we  left  the  wharf  below  the 
castle;  embarked  on  the  sharp  and  swift  little  steamer  y^/-^j-, 
bound  for  the  Riddarholm  landing.  AVe  are  advertised  to 
reach  the  capital  at  four  and  a  half  o'clock  A.  Ri.,  which 
means  in  Sweden  half-past  three.  Oh  the  sorrow  of  that 
parting  on  the  deck  of  the  Aros  at  Westeras  ! 

The  accommodation  in  these  diminutive  Malaren  steamers, 
as  on  the  canals,  provoke  wonder  and  admiration  on  account 
of  extremely  ingenious  utilizing  of  space;  and  there  is  the  uni- 
form characteristic  of  neatness.  The  attendance  is  good 
also  ;  and  to  such  an  extent  is  this  the  fact  that  I  have  often 
heard  travellers  express  the  wish  that  something  approxi- 
mately prompt  and  intelligent  was  to  be  had  on  the  great 
Atlantic  Ocean  ferry  boats. 


2l8 


NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


XIX. 


TO  AND  IN  UPSALA. 


By  rail  or  steamer  you  can  go  on  a  nearly  direct  line  from 
Stockholm  to  Upsala.  Advice  from  every  quarter  favors 
going  by  the  lakes  and  returning  on  the  cars.  By  steamer 
called  tlpsala  No.  i  we  go.  The  distance  is  fifty-six  miles — 
fifteen  miles  more  than  by  the  land  route  ;  and  the  fare  for 
first-class  passage  is  less  than  one  cent  per  mile.  1'he  Upsala 
boats  start  from  the  Ridderholm  wharf  at  nine  o  clock  in  the 
morning,  and  reach  the  landing  at  Upsala  about  three  p.  M. 

The  trip  is  described — (I  should  say,  perhaps  decried) — by 
some  of  the  guide-books,  as  monotonous  and  uninteresting. 
Even  our  highly  prized  Bsedecker  says  something  to  this  effect ; 
although  the  very  same  sentence  in  which  this  unjust  state- 
ment is  made  closes  with  a  qualified  or  limited  recommenda- 
tion of  the  passage.  Some  of  the  chapters  in  these  books — 
in  the  best  of  them — appear  to  have  been  written  by  com- 
missioners or  guides  who  have  become  wearied  by  travelling 
over  the  routes  they  disparage  ;  or  the  writers  have  taken 
their  cue  from  lazy  "  tourists,"  who  covet  the  name  of  travel- 
lers— who  wish  to  be  able  to  truthfully  say  that  they  have  been 
here  and  there,  thus  and  so  ;  but  who  cannot  endure  without 
a  complaint  or  a  yawn  the  ennui  of  any  mode  of  conveyance 
that  is  not  up  to  the  Pulman  sleeping  car  or  Fall  River  steam- 
boat standard  of  comfort  and  luxuriousness.  Strangers 
travelling  to  see  and  to  learn  of  the  country,  and  who  pur- 
pose visiting  Upsala,  will  make  a  mistake  if  in  going  or  re- 
turning they  do  not  take  this  little  journey  by  water  carriage. 

The  view  of  the  capital  city,  as  the  boat  recedes  from  the 
landing,  is  always  pleasant  and  inspiriting  ;  and  especially  so 
in  the  bright  rays  of  the  Summer  morning  sun.  We  soon 
leave  the  Malaren  ;  and  as  it  is  properly  said,  the  steamer 
thence  "  threads  its  way  between  the  islands  and  the  main 
land."     Large  private  dwellings,  and  an  immense  chateau 


TO  AND  IN  UPSALA. 


219 


built  by  the  brother  of  Charles  IX,  are  passed  on  our  way  to 
the  Strait  of  Staket.  This  is  a  strait  worthy  of  the  name,  in 
every  sense  of  contractedness  :  so  narrow  that  you  can  at 
several  points  touch  the  bank  on  either  side  with  your  cane, 
and  so  shallow  that  you  feel  the  scraping  of  the  soft  bottom 
by  the  small  steamer's  keel  at  almost  every  revolution  of  the 
screw.  Beyond  this  throat  we  come  to  an  island  called 
Almare-staket,  where  there  are  remains  of  the  castle  of  St. 
Brick's  Borg.  Here  too  is  the  site  of  the  stronghold  in  which 
Archbishop  Gustaf  Trolle  shut  himself  up,  and  for  a  time  de- 
fied the  power  and  authority  of  Sten  Sture  the  Younger — an 
incident  of  360  years  ago.  Many  points  of  interest  are  noied 
along  the  route  through  Lake  Skarfven  ;  and  the  scenery  is 
delightful. 

At  Sigtuna,  where  the  steamer  stops  a  few  minutes  onl}'-, 
there  should  be  set  down  a  mark  of  reasonable  complaint — 
on  behalf  of  the  visitors  who  constitute  the  larger  portion  of 
the  passengers.  An  hour's  time  should  be  given  here — half 
an  hour  at  least — for  the  sake  of  affording  travellers  an  op- 
portunity to  examine  closely  the  ruins  of  the  old  Dominican 
abbey,  whose  tottering  tower  is  not  ten  minutes  walk  from 
the  steamer  landing.  Sigtuna  is  now  a  village  of  about  500 
inhabitants  ;  beautifully  situated  on  a  gently  sloping  hillside. 
It  was  at  one  time — say  a  matter  of  five  centuries  ago — the 
largest  city  in  Sweden.  There  is  a  long  history  here  of  dem- 
olition by  one  set  of  kings  and  rebuilding  by  another,  etc  ; 
all  calculated  to  create  and  foster  laudable  curiosity  which 
ought  to  be  met  and  gratified  to  the  extent  and  in  the  way 
indicated,  by  the  steamer  company.  Why  don't  the  guide- 
books say  this  ?  Perhaps  the  author  for  the  section  that 
speaks  of  this  trip  has  always  passed  this  point  as  a  party  of 
tourists  were  giving  it  the  "  go  by,''  when  I  made  notes 
for  this  paragraph.  The  Captain  said  that  they  were  playing 
cards  in  the  cabin. 

There  are  remains  of  four  old  churches  at  Sigtuna  ;  and  the 
tower  of  one — already  spoken  of — can  be  seen  for  a  mile  or 
more  down  the  lake,  jagged  topped,  ivy  oer-grown,  and  sur- 
rounded all  day  by  large  flocks  of  birds  whose  nests  are  in 
its  upper  walls. 


220 


NOR  THERM    E  UR  OPE. 


On  the  left  is  the  site  of  the  more  ancient  town  of  Fora- 
sigtuna  ;  wliere  is  fastened  the  romantic  legend  of  Hagbard 
and  Signe,  and  their  ill-fated  love.  Then  comes  Haturnaholm, 
and  the  church  of  Haturna  ;  where  Dukes  Eric  and  Wal- 
dener  put  their  brother  King  Birger  in  chains  and  forced 
him  to  divide  the  empire  witli  them.  Eleven  years  afterwards 
Birger,  pretending  to  have  lost  all  anger  on  account  of  the 
durance  he  had  been  in,  sent  out  cards  of  invitation  to  his 
brothers  to  come  and  take  a  thanksgiving  dinner  with  him  at 
his  residence  at  Ny  Koping.  The  two  brothers  came  ;  and 
Birger  told  his  constables  to  place  them  in  a  dungeon  and 
feed  them  on  air  and  water.  After  this  atrocious  act,  let  us 
be  glad  to  remember,  Birger  received  at  least  so  much  pun- 
ishment as  could  be  inflicted  by  taking  away  his  royal  power. 
Here,  at  Haturna,  his  brothers  began  the  quarrel.  I  have 
seen  the  grave  of  these  three  brothers,  in  the  Storkyrka,  at 
Stockholm.  They  were  a  cruel,  pitiless  race  :  those  old  folk- 
kings. 

Crossing  the  waters  of  the  Skofjarden — a  beautiful  lake — 
with  many  points  of  interest  on  either  hand,  we  come  to 
Skokloster,  or  the  "Forest  Monastery,"  as  the  original  name 
imports.  Here  is  a  splendid  chateau,  where  was  formerly  a 
monastery  belonging  to  the  Dominicans,  subsequently  occu- 
pied by  the  Cistercian  nuns.  The  present  edifice  is  in  the 
possession  of  the  Brahe  family  ;  and  the  grounds  and  the  in- 
terior of  the  building  may  be  visited  by  the  payment  of  two 
kroners  to  the  overseer  of  the  estate.  The  structure  is  140 
feet  square  ;  with  a  tower  at  each  corner,  covered  with  copper. 
The  main  building  is  four  stories  high  ;  the  towers  rising 
fifteen  or  twenty  feet  higher.  The  front  hall  is  magnificent; 
being  supported  by  eight  Ionic  columns  of  pure  white  marble. 
The  decorated  ceiling  is  marvelously  beautiful.  As  has  been 
comprehensively  written,  the  interior  is  a  museum  ;  there  is 
a  library  and  an  armory;  the  latter  containing  1,200  guns  and 
avast  variety  of  other  weapons  of  warfare,  including  the 
broad  sword  of  Ziska,  the  distinguished  Hussite  chieftain, 
and  the  axe  of  the  executioner  at  the  "Blood  bath  of  Lin- 
koping." 


TO  AND  IN  U PSA  LA. 


221 


Venitian  glasses  and  gold  and  silver  ware  of  high  value  are 
here  displayed  in  great  profusion.  Here  are  also  life  size 
portraits  of  Gustavus  Adolphus,  Axel  Oxenstjerna  and 
Charles  X,  VI,  XII  ,  the  latter  on  horseback.  And  here  is 
a  picture  of  Ebba  Brahe,  that  justifies  all  the  eulogiums  that 
have  been  passed  on  her  superlative  beauty.  She  must  have 
been  a  charmer. 


SKOKLOSTER. 

The  library  contains  40,000  volumes  ;  and  among  the 
numerous  manuscripts  visitors  may  see,  on  inquiry,  the  Rev- 
elations of  St.  Brigittae. 

The  Skokyrka,  which  is  close  by  the  chateau,  is  also  well 
worih  a  visit.  The  figure  of  the  Magdalen  is  of  such  excel- 
lence that  substantially  the  same  expression  of  wonder  was  in- 
stant and  irrepressible  from   every  intelligent  person  present 


2  22  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

at  the  time  we  stood  before  it  :  "  How  is  it  possible  that  this 
product  of  a  master's  hand  has  been  left  in  this  compara- 
tively obscure  locality  ?"  The  pulpit  is  a  very  fine  piece  of 
work  ;  and  the  paintings  on  and  about  the  altar  are  choice  in 
their  character  and  design.  Here  is  the  tomb  of  the  ''Swedish 
Sap[)ho," — a  poetess,  commonly  known  in  our  literature  as 
Charlotte  Norden,  but  whose  full  baptismal  cognomen,  as 
the  inscription  in  this  church  does  testify,  was  Hedvig  Char- 
lotta  Norden flycht.  It  is  said — I  say  it  is  said,  for  I  now 
hear  that  which  I  never  read  about  her — that  many  of  her 
best  poems  were  destroyed  by  her  relatives,  because  those 
verses  referred  more  or  less  distantly  to  her  love  disappoint- 
ment— a  sad  story  of  heartless  treatment  on  the  part  of  a  suc- 
cessful suitor,  ending  in  her  attempted  suicide. 

Churches,  estates,  estates  and  churches,  Alsike,  Krusenberg, 
Aker,  Dalby,  Nas,  and  Flotsund  ;  and  then  the  steamer  passes 
into  the  river  Fryisa,  which  is  here  about  the  size  of  the  Cro- 
ton  River  at  its  mouth  or  the  Tuolumne  E.iver  at  Modesto, 
and  as  muddy  as  the  Sacramento  could  be  without  any  in- 
junctions on  the  hydraulic  miners.  Far  to  the  North  and 
East  extends  the  plain  of  Upsala,  with  the  tall,  needle-shaped 
steeple  of  an  outlying  parish  (Vaksala)  in  the  centre  of  the 
horizon. 

As  we  push  on  and  swing  around  more  directly  to  the  Nr;rth 
in  the  narrow  channel,  the  agricuUural  school  of  Ultuna 
comes  into  view  ;  situated  close  by  the  river's  bank.  It  con- 
sists of  three  buildings  upon  a  fifty-acre  farm  ;  the  dwellings 
and  schools  being  the  size  of  the  Protestant  Orphan  Asylum,  at 
San  Francisco.  Here,  as  at  the  Stromsholm  School — which  is 
a  very  much  smaller  institution  based  on  the  same  plan — by  a 
course  of  instruction  running  through  two  and  one  half  years, 
it  is  claimed  that  accomplished  agriculturalists  are  brought  or 
sent  forth  for  foreman's  places  upon  the  estates  of  Sweden.  I 
am  told  that  the  students  are  usually  the  sons  of  parents  well  to 
do  ;  and  that  these  charity  schools  are  m  no  sense  for  the 
poor.  Some  of  the  most  intelligent  students  with  whom  I  have 
conversed  on  this  subject  have  sought  to  give  me  very  unfavor- 
able impressions  as  to  the  effect  these  "academies  of  theory" 
have  had  upon  the  culture  of  the  soil  of  the  nation. 


TO  AXD  IX   UPSALA. 


223 


Now  comes  the  Lunatic  Asylum  and  the  new  Hospital  ;  and 
then  we  reach  the  long  straight  waterway  that  is  handsomely 
shaded  by  a  park  row  of  trees  on  the  left,  and  bounded  by  the 
southern  portion  of  the  city  of  Upsala  on  the  right.  Half  a 
mile  of  this  passage  brings  us  to  the  wharf  of  the  Stockholm 
Steamer,  in  the  first  university  city  of  Sweden. 

The  landing  of  the  little  steamer  is  immediately  opposite  the 
city  garden  and  cafe,  known  as  the  Stromparterre — a  place  we 
visited  and  to  which  I  shall  probably  refer  hereafter.  Coming  v.p 
the  ruddy  Fyrisa  along  the  line  of  the  city  park,  anything  like 
a  full  view  of  the  little  city  is  prohibited  by  the  shade  trees  that 


UPSALA    CASTLE    AND    CATHEDRAL GENERAL    VIEW. 


border  the  river,  and  by  the  houses  that  are  in  immediate  juxta- 
position to  the  bank  on  the  shore  side  ;  and  you  do  not  obtain 
any  glance  at  all  at  the  castle  until  you  have  fairly  stepped  upon 
shore  and  passed  to  the  edge  of  the  first  bridge  that  crosses  the 
stream.  So  that  the  "commanding  vision  as  you  approach" 
which  is  often  spoken  of  by  the  guide  books  and  travellers,  is  to 
be  dated,  as  it  were,  from  the  railway  line,  as  it  comes  up  from 
the  Southeast  on  the  U])sala  plain  ;   from  which  you  do  indeed 


2  24  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

have  an  excellent  picture  of  the  city  and  its  principal  edifice 
Ions  before  you  have  arrived  at  the  corporation  limits. 

Two  characteristics  are  to  be  set  down  at  once  for  this  ancient 
university  town — especially  at  this  season  of  the  year.  One  is 
the  cleanliness — so  scrupulous  as  to  remind  you  of  the  olden 
stories  of  the  streets  in  the  cities  of  the  Netherlands  ;  and  the 
other  is  a  quietness  that  will  often  make  you  wonder,  as  you 
pass  along,  whether  the  buildings  on  either  side  hold  any  in- 
habitants or  no .?  Arriving  here  in  the  mid-afternoon,  we  met 
with  no  hackmen  or  solicitors  of  any  kind  at  the  dock,  and 
there  were  but  few  spectators  about ;  all  this  in  strikmg  con- 
trast to  Westeras  and  Strengnas  and  Falun,  and  other  towns  in 
Sweden,  of  city  name  and  of  similar  size.  It  is  vacation  time, 
sure  enough  ;  and  we  need  not  have  expected  to  see  groups  of 
students  here  and  there — as  engravings  are  apt  to  give  them. 
But  it  is  on  a  day  preceding  a  great  convocation  of  teachers  and 
professors,  and  it  is  stated  that  no  less  than  2,500  strangers- 
gathered  from  all  parts  of  Eastern  and  Southern  Sweden — must 
at  this  time  be  sojourning  in  Upsala.  So  that  we  might  have 
reasonably  looked  for  crowded  streets. 

Upsala  is  a  city  of  12,000  inhabitants,  exclusive  of  its  tern- 
porary  residents,  the  students.  Although  its  corporate  limits 
are  not  defined  by  any  wall,  as  of  old,  yet,  like  other  towns  of 
this  kingdom  its  line  of  edifices  break  short  ofT — so  to  speak — 
on  every  hand.  Suggesting  a  preparedness  for  the  construction 
of  a  stone  ridge  of  defence,  if  necessary.  Somehow,  this  idea 
has  struck  me  on  every  occasion  of  a  visit  of  the  like  nature  ; 
and  doubtless  this  manner  and  custom  of  building  the  houses 
together  is  due  to  the  originttl  plan  of  a  walled  town. 

The  principal  points  of  interest  here  are,  of  course,  the 
Cathedral  or  Dom,  and  the  Castle,  and  the  University  Library- 
each  one  as  I  can  now  say,  well  worth  a  visit  and  fully  repaying 
of  themselves  the  time  aiid  expense  of  the  trip  from  the  Capital. 
In  our  visits  to  the  Church  and  the  Castle  and  the  University 
buildings,  we  had  for  a  guide,  a  lady  whom  I  wish  to  gratefully 
mention  in  this  chapter.  Mrs.  Ebba  Sunden,  fodd  Gregersson, 
wife  of  a  professor — in  the  professional  line  herself,  with  a  title 
to  that  effect— kindly  took  us  in  charge,  in  compliance  with  a 
letter  of  introduction  from  Herr  J.  C.  INIycrberg,  and  accom- 
panied us  on  our  visits  to  castles,  coUfges  and  clubrooms. 


TO  AND  IN  UPSALA. 


225 


While  you  are  sure  to  receive  a  hospitable  welcome  in  any 
portion  of  Sweden — so  far  as  my  observation  and  experience 
goes — on  a  proper  credential — tliere  is  a  difference,  of  course, 
with  Kespect  to  the  interest  that  will  be  manifested  in  connection 
with  your  inquiries  and  investiijations.  Now  Mrs.  Sunden  and 
her  husband  are  great  admirers  of  our  Republican  Institutions, 
and  appear  to  have  been  omnivorous  readers  of  modern  Amer- 
ican literature.  This  will  probably  sufficiently  indicate  how 
fortunate  we  were  in  the  companionship  of  such  a  lady  at  such 
a  lime. 

It  begins  to  rain  tempestuously  shortly  after  our  arrival.  But, 
notwithstanding  this,  people  gather  in  the  cafe  gardens  of  Up- 
sala  at  the  usual  hour  for  evening  out-door  refreshment — be- 
tween si.K  and  seven  o'clock — thronging  under  the  canvas  or 
awnings  that  are  provided  on  the  edge  of  the  restaurants.  At 
the  upper  or  eastern  end  of  the  city,  near  the  Sala  Hotel,  and  in 
close  proximity  to  the  railroad  station,  there  is  a  little  b?er 
garden  and  restaurant,  with  a  horse-shoe  shaped  shed  occupied 
by  a  band  of  music'ans;  and  on  this  night  in  front  of  this  plat- 
form, a  stage  had  been  erected  for  the  performance  of  a  gymnast, 
who,  in  the  midst  of  a  shower,  and  before  an  audience  necessarily 
somewhat  distant  in  point  of  feet  and  rods,  but  very  respectable 
in  numbers  and  demonstrative  applause,  went  through  his  pro- 
gramme with  conscientious  and  heroic  fortitude.  One  of  his 
tricks  was  novel  to  us,  and  perhaps  worth  mentioning.  A  pole 
was  erected  at  one  extremity  of  the  platform — its  height  prob- 
ably about  twenty  feet  from  the  line  of  the  floor — and  at  a 
distance  of  six  or  seven  feet  above  the  platform  there  protruded 
a  series  of  shelves,  one  above  the  other,  at  an  interval  of  two  or 
three  feet.  Mounting  the  pole,  and  pulling  down  the  first  shelf, 
the  acrobat  leaned  over  gradually  until  his  balance  was  lost,  and 
then  descending  and  striking  with  his  hands  upon  a  table  be- 
neath, turned  a  triple  back  somersault  on  the  platform.  This 
was  repeated — the  performer  each  time  mounting  one  shelf 
higher — until  from  the  full  distance  of  twenty  feet,  the  descent 
and  revolution  was  made.  PVom  a  beginning  that  was  a  com- 
monplace exhibition,  the  exercise  grew  to  be  a  very  thrilling 
spectacle — as  the  daring  athlete  mounted  higher  and  higher. 


226 


NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


After  witnessing  his  performance,  we  strolled  down  to  the 
Stromparterre  ;  the  large  city  garden  already  referred  to,  which 
is  at  the  northern  edge  of  the  city  park,  and  adjacent  to  the 
castle  grounds.  There — the  storm  having  somewhat  subsided 
— we  found  a  gathering  of  probably  3C0  persons  listening  to 
music  from  a  band  of  twenty-three  musicians,  who  were  stationed 
at  one  side  of  a  large  and  brilliantly  illuminated  two-story  cafe. 
Some  of  the  pieces  played  carried  us  back,  sure  enough,  to  San 
Francisco  ;  as  they  were  selections  from  operas  made  familiar  to 
our  people  generally  by  iheir  repitition  at  our  incomparable, 
popular  Opera  House,  known  as  the  Tivoli. 

The  general  topic  of  conversation  was  the  meeting  of  the 
teachers,  who  weie  to  consider  and  prescribe  the  course  of  in- 
struction that  was  to  be  given  during  the  coming  year.  We 
paused  at  no  table  where  this  was  not  the  theme  of  talk;  and 
dignified  looking  gentlemen  who  had  the  air  of  being  teachers 
and  professors  themselves,  apparently  exhibited  no  more  interest 
in  this  subject  than  did  the  old  ladies  who  had  brought  their 
knitting  or  crochet-work  with  them,  and  who  substituted  dis- 
cussion about  the  course  of  study  for  the  gossip  that  we  would 
naturally  expect  to  hear  under  such  circumstances  in  such  a 
place. 

Evidently  this  is  a  university  town  in  a  very  striking  sense  of 
the  term.  It  is  the  pride  of  the  people  here — this  great  college 
of  Sweden  ;  and  they  have  a  very  intelligent  understanding  with 
respect  to  it.  We  stepped  into  a  number  of  stores  for  the  pur- 
pose of  making  the  chance  acquaintance  of  the  proprietor  or  his 
clerks,  rather  than  on  account  of  need  or  desire  to  purchase ; 
and  on  a  hint  that  we  were  strangers,  and  more  especially  after 
stating  that  we  were  Americans  and  Californians,  we  obtained 
from  one  and  all  a  succinct  and  comprehensive  account  of  the 
origin  of  the  University,  of  its  progress,  of  the  present  number  of 
professors  and  students,  and  so  forth.  All  with  a  degree  of  par- 
ticularity and  detail  beyond  anything  that  we  had  seen  in  the 
guide  books,  or  in  the  recent  volumes  of  letters  of  travel  which 
embrace  communications  upon  these  points. 

The  Cathedral  or  Dom  Church  is  approached  from  the  South- 
east by  a  flight  of  steps  that  leads  up  on  to  the  grand  dais  on 
which  it  stands — approached  through  a  building  or  series  of 


TO  A. YD  IN   U PSA  LA. 


227 


buildings  that  border  the  cathedral  yard  on  two  sides.  The 
porter's  lodge  is  on  the  left  as  you  reach  the  level  of  the  church 
foundation.      We  were  fortunate  enough  to  have  for  our  guide. 


.jipisls'atllfsiili 


the  porter's  wife — the  man  himself  being  employed  in  duties 
connected  with  the  great  meeting,  to  which  we  have  already 
referred.      Here,  curiosity  answered  unto  curiosity,  and  brought 


228 


NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


us  a  harvest  of  information.  The  good  -woman  of  the  lodge 
wanted  lo  know  all  about  the  United  States,  and  especially 
everything  that  we  could  tell  her  with  respect  to  that  paradise 
land  of  the  earth,  known  to  her — (under  a  very  peculiar  and 
indescribable  form  of  pronunciation) — as  "  the  land  of  San 
California."  And  as  if  to  pay  us  in  advance  for  all  the  in- 
formation we  could  give,  or  to  make  us  the  more  ready  to 
answer  her  questions,  or  to  volunteer  information,  I  think  we 
had  a  quadrupled  amour  c  of  historic  and  biographical  story 
with  respect  to  the  notable  points  of  interest  in  the  great 
Cathedral.  Of  course  I  shall  not  undertake,  in  this  place 
or  in  this  communica'tion,  to  make  a  report,  verbatim,  of 
all  her  recitations,  I  dare  to  say  that  if  I  did,  the  printed 
record  would  occupy  more  than  any  reasonable  limits  for  a 
"chapter." 

Of  course  the  first  object  to  which  the  attention  of  the 
visitor  is  directed  is  the  cotitin  of  silver  in  which  are  the  bones 
of  St.  Eric.  This  is  on  the  left  hand  side  of  the  altar  ;  at  the 
place  where  the  bishop's  chair  is  usually  situated  in  our 
Episcopal  edifices.  It  is  elevated  about  three  or  four  feet 
from  the  floor  and  is  protected  from  sacrilegious  handling  by 
an  iron  railing  and  screen.  Immediately  in  the  rear  of  the 
altar  is  a  chapel,  decorated  with  pictures  presenting  scenes 
in  the  life  of  the  great  Gustavus  ;  the  figures  being  of  life 
size,  and  the  execution  being  of  that  pronounced  and  vivid 
style  which  characterizes  the  panorama  paintings  of  the  mod- 
ern French  and  German  artists. 

The  monument  of  John  III.  is  a  reclining  statue,  which  for 
clearness  of  outline  is  surpassingly  fine.  It  seems  as  it  it  was 
carved  out  of  a  large  pebble  or  an  immense  horn  rather  than 
from  a  block  of  marble, — the  fibre  of  the  stone, — so  to  speak, 
— being  of  such  character  as  to  suggest  one  or  the  other  of 
the  materials  I  have  likened  it  unto. 

I  do  not  know  that  I  ever  before  saw  an  effigy  or  bust,  with 
respect  to  which,  I  felt  a  desire  to  touch  and  handle;  but  I 
certainly  had  this  morbid  disposition  here,  and  I  so  confessed. 
And  when  I  mentioned  this  feeling,  I  was  told  that  a  similar 
remark  had  been  made  by  many  others,  when  they  first  came 
into  tliis  presence. 


TO  AND  IN  U PSA  LA.  2?9 

The  altar  is  beautifully  arranged  and  adorned:  all  in  good 
taste  and  mucli  in  striking  contrast  to  the  ornamentation  dis- 
played in  other  cathedrals  and  large  churches  of  the  kingdom, 
which  I  have  visited.  There  was  nothing  tawdry  about  it. 
The  pulpit  has  been  the  subject  o*^  many  descriptions  and 
much  eulogistic  notice,  from  those  who  are  best  able  to  speak 
of  it  in  an  artistic  point  of  view.  It  was  made  after  the  de- 
sign of  Nicodemus  Tessin, — whose  name  is  a  household  word 
in  Sweden. 

Gustavus  I  St  is  represented  as  lying  on  his  marble  monu- 
ment, between  his  first  and  second  wife.  His  third  consort, — 
who  survived  him  some  sixty  years, — is  buried  at  a  distance. 
I  climbed  up  at  one  side  of  this  monument, — which  is  ele- 
vated fully  eight  feet  from  the  floor, — and  took  a  careful  view 
of  the  reposing  monarch  and  his  first  spouse.  The  effigy  is 
said  to  be  a  good  likeness.  If  that  is  so,  then  the  busts  which 
I  have  seen  elsewliere flattered  him  exceedingly.  His  second 
wife  was  much  the  handsomest  lady;  but  I  was  told  that  his 
third  choice  fell  upon  the  greatest  beauty  in  tlie  land.  While 
these  facts  probably  have  no  historical  importance,  they  were 
somewhat  prominent  in  the  conversation  which  I  necessarily 
overheard  while  I  stood  gazmg  upon  these  representations  of 
ancient  Swedisli  royalty. 

The  grave  of  Linnaeus  is  near  the  front  door;  under  a  slab 
that  is  fully  fifty  feet  distant  from  the  magnificent  monument 
which  lias  been  erected  in  his  honor  in  one  of  the  alcoves  of 
the  Cathedral.  Mrs.  Suiidea  remarked  that  Englishmen  fre- 
quently came  to  the  cathedral  and  asked  to  see  the  grave  of 
Linnceus;  and  having  stood  above  his  remains  a  few  minutes, 
they  went  away  with  the  remark  t'nat  there  was  nothing  else 
in  the  building  that  they  cared  to  see;— adding,  if  questioned, 
that  they  had  old  cathedrals  and  old  war  heroes  represented 
in  tablet  and  effigy,  from  one  end  of  England  to  the  other,  in 
such  abundance  as  to  surfeit  and  sicken  tliem!  But  the  grave 
of  Linnaeus!  ah!  they  wanted  to  stand  by  the  side  of  that! 
The  monument  of  Linnreus  is  a  pyramid  of  porphyry,  wiili  a 
bronze  medallion  of  the  great  botanist, — the  masterpiece  of 
Seigal. 


230  A'OJ?  TIIERX  E I  'ROPE. 

The  porter's  wife  exhibited  to  us  the  precious  relics  and 
curiosities  in  the  sacristy,  which  is  on  the  right  of  the  East- 
ern entrance.  Here  are  the  ecclesiastical  vessels  of  silver  and 
gold,  and  crowns  and  surplices  and  robes,  and  the  clothes  of  the 
Stures  who  were  murdered  by  order  of  Eric  XIV. — as  will  be 
hereafter  described.  Here  is  also  the  gift  of  King  Albert 
of  Mecklenberg  to  Queen  Margaret, — "a  gift  of  derision," — 
a  stone  for  sharpening  her  needle;  and  here  is  kept  her  re- 
sponsive gift — which  was  a  banner  made  out  of  some  of  her 
Petticoats.  In  the  sacristy  are  also  kept  trunks  full  of  valu- 
ables belonging  to  wealthy  citizens  of  Upsala,  who  are  by  the 
Bishop  and  Chapter  permitted  to  use  this  place  as  a  deposit 
for  safe  lodgment. 

The  cathedral  is  capable  of  seating  5,000  persons;  and  on 
all  festive  days,  it  is  said, — (as  always  elsewhere) — that  there 
is  not  room  in  the  buildmg  for  the  people  who  wish  to  attend. 
The  organ  is  nearly  the  size  of  the  famous  Boston  instrument. 
The  memoranda  of  exterior  dimensions  are  :  370  feet  by 
141  feet,  and  a  height  of  115  feet.  The  construction  of  this 
building  was  commenced  in  i  19,  by  a  French  architect, 
whose  contract  was  written  and  dated  and  executed  at  Paris, 
in  1287.  140  years  passed  between  the  signing  of  the  con- 
tract and  the  date  of  the  final  consecration, — for  there  were 
several  preliminary  ceremonies — in  1425.  At  one  time  it  v/as 
surmounted  by  three  towers,  two  of  which  were  400  feet  in 
height.  But  these  were  consumed  by  fire  at  the  last  of  the 
five  successive  conflagrations,  from  which  the  cathedral  has 
suffered.  The  two  towers  now  at  the  Northern  end  of  the 
church  are  stunted  in  their  dimensions — their  total  height 
being  only  180  feet.  The  same  complaint  is  made  with  re- 
spect to  them  that  is  often  heard  in  connection  with  the 
towers  of  Westminster,  in  London. 

Adjacent  to  this  church  is  the  Spring  of  St.  Eric — not  more 
than  ten  or  twelve  rods  to  the  right  of  the  building.  This 
Spring  is  said  to  have  suddenly  burst  forrh  at  the  very  place 
v/here  St.  Eric  was  decapitated.  The  guide-books  say  that 
the  water  is  now  used  exclusively  for  a  hydropathic  establish- 
ment, which  is  situated  immediately  adjacent  to  the  Spring. 
But  the  fact  is,  the  water  of  the  Spring  supplies  the  whole 


TO  AND  IN  UPSALA.  231 

town  or  city  of  Upsala.  The  water  has  a  purity  which  justi- 
fies the  praise  bestowed  upon  it.  It  is  of  that  limpid  and 
sparkhng  character  which  country  folks  in  the  Western  part 
of  New  England  are  familiar  with  ;  —finding  it  in  the  natural 
reservoirs  of  their  mountain  towns. 

Distant  from  the  cathedral  fully  half  a  mile  is  the  eminence 
on  which  stands  the  castle  of  Upsala.  It  is  situated  to  the 
East  of  the  Botanic  Garden,  through  which  we  passed  on  our 
way  to  the  scene  of  the  slaughter  of  the  "  ill-tated  Sture." 
This  castle  was  constructed  in  1538  by  Gustavus  Wasa,  and 
additions  were  made  to  it  by  John  III.  and  Gustavus  II. 
It  was  partly  burnt  in  1702,  and  has  never  been  fully  restored. 
It  is  the  residence  of  the  Governor  of  the  Province.  From 
the  grounds,  immediately  in  front,  there  is  a  fine  view  of  the 
Upsala  Valley,  including  Gamla  or  Old  Upsala — which  is 
distant  about  four  miles  to  the  North-east — where  are  the 
great  tumuli,  containing  the  graves  of  Odin,  Thor  and  Frya. 
The  castle  itself  is  about  60  feet  high,  betv/een  300  and  400 
feet  long,  and  50  feet  wide.  It  is  constructed  of  brick,  and 
in  the  rear  looks  more  like  one  of  our  modern  manufacturing 
establishments  than  it  does  like  a  castle  or  an  Executive 
residence. 

The  place  where  the  Sture  were  murdered  is  at  the  South- 
Avest  end  of  the  present  castle, — in  a  ruined  fragment  of  the 
first  building.  The  room  where  the  horrible  butchery  was 
perpetrated,  is  v;ithout  a  roof,  while  through  the  cracks  of 
the  floor  a  mass  of  shrubbery  has  pushed  its  way  upwaid. 
Through  an  iron  grating  we  looked  in,  while  Mrs.  Sunden 
re-told  the  story  of  the  wholesale  assassination.  The  order 
came  suddenly  from  King  Eric, — who  is  believed  by  many  to 
have  been  insane  at  the  time, — (whose  own  subsequent  hor- 
rible fate  we  have  already  rehearsed), — and  the  unfortunate 
victims  had  no  notice  Avhatever  of  the  intention  of  the  guard 
to  slaughter  them.  'Wlien  the  soldiers  entered  the  dungeon, 
and  commenced  the  attack  with  spears  and  daggers  and 
swords,  the  "Sture"  defended  themselves  as  well  as  they 
could  with  sticks  of  wood  and  with  tlie  ijiecesof  board  which 
they  tore  from  the  wainscot  ;  crying  out  in  wonder  as  well  as 
agony,  while  the  butchery  was  going  on  ;  resisting  the  assaults 
valiantly  until  death  put  an  end  to  their  horrible  sufferings. 


232 


NOR  TIIERX   E  UR  OPE. 


A  new  University  building  is  in  process  of  erection — nearly- 
completed — and  will  soon  entirely  supersede  three  of  the  de- 
tached edifices  which  have  been  devoted  to  the  objects  for 
which  it  is  constructed. 

The  Library  building  {Carolina  Rcdlviva^  and  its  contents 
deserves  a  notice.  The  building  is  about  the  size  of  the 
California  State  Capital,  minus  the  dome.     The  Librarian 


UPSALA   UxNIVERSITY    LIBRARY    BUILDING CAROLINA    REDIVIVA. 


began  our  conversation  by  speaking  of  Professor  Moses  of 
the  California  University,  from  whom  he  had  had  many  com- 
munications. He  seemed  to  have  a  high  admiration  for  our 
teacher,  both  as  a  scholar  and  an  instructor. 

This  Library — which  contains  200,000  volumes  and  7,000 
manuscripts — has  among  its  most  precious  treasures  the  Codex 
Argenfeus  ;  which  is  a  Gothic  translatioa  of  the  four  gospels, 
made  by  Bishop  Ulphilas,  between  the  years  340  and  380. 
This  book  is  the  oldest  specimen  of  the  Gothic  language,  and 
its  typographical  value  is  very  great.  On  this  account, — as  a 
representative  and  a  record  of  the  ancient  work  of  writing, 


TO  AND  IN    U PSA  LA. 


'-n 


< 


t-l 

Q 


t— * 


234 


NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


and  stamping  in  printing  characters, — it  is  often  called  for, 
and  examined  by  persons  of  distinction,  who  take  no  interest 
in  its  religious  significance.  We  had  the  precious  volume  in 
our  hands, — that  is  to  say,  we  had  our  hands  under  its  silver 
lids  ;  a  privilege,  which  we  were  informed  was  vouchsafed  on 
rare  occasions. 

Here  also,  we  were  shown  several  Bibles  with  chains  attached ; 
which  had  been  placed  in  the  churches  in  early  days,  and  read 
by  the  enlightened  few.  Here  are  manuscript  writings  of  the 
monarchs  of  Sweden,  from  1400  down.  On  the  9th  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1 69 1,  Charles  XII  wrote  to  his  father.  We  read  the 
letter ;  expressive  of  dutiful  affection,  and  a  hope  and  desire  to 
become  a  man  and  monarch  worthy  of  such  a  sire.  When 
Charles  was  nine  years  old  he  wrote  a  letter  to  his  grandmother  ; 
in  which  he  hailed  her  as  "The  mighty  Queen, "'and  "the  best 
of  all  grandmothers."  We  were  also  shown  his  writings  when 
he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age  ;  written  when  he  was  in  the 
saddle.  Here  were  also  specimens  of  writings  of  Gustavus 
Adolphus ;  verses  copied  by  him  from  the  Bible,  in  a  daily 
journal  form.  And  here  was  the  famous  diary  of  the  Vadstena 
.Monastery,  written  between  the  years  1384  and  1545-  The 
chirography  is  as  copperplate  on  many  pages. 

The  library  rooms  are  about  200  feet  in  length  and  14  or  15 
feet  in  height,  with  a  Vv'idth  probably  of  40  or  50  feet.  Tlie 
shelves  reach  nearly  up  to  the  ceiling ;  and  there  are  four 
double  rows  in  the  body  of  the  halls  upon  the  first  and  second 
stories.  The  upper  story  is  not  considered  sufficiently  strong  to 
bear  a  burden  of  books  ;  and  for  that  and  other  reasons  it  is 
appropriated  and  set  apart  as  an  audience  or  council  chamber. 
In  it  there  are  a  large  number  of  statues  and  busts,  arranged  on 
either  side  of  the  long  chamber,  while  at  the  top  of  the  hall  is  a 
large  platform,  on  which  the  "  Upsala  Students'  Choir"  play 
and  sing  on  certain  festive  occasions. 

As  we  walked  from  the  Library  building — which  is  called  the 
Carolina  Rediviva — we  met  one  of  the  students — readily  known 
by  his  cap  and  seal.  We  were  shown  the  rooms  where  the 
division  of  the  students  that  hail  from  Stockholm  meet  for  social 
and  convivial  purposes.  The  rooms  were  five  in  number  and 
were  situated  near  the  principal  hotel  a::d  about  two  blocks 


TO  AND  IN  UPS  ALA.  235 

distant  from  the  edge  of  the  park  grounds,  in  which  the  Univer- 
sity buildings  are  located.  The  furniture  of  the  rooms  is  plain 
but  massive.  Eacii  division  of  the  kingdom  has  its  separate 
social  society  and  headquarters  ;  of  which  ihe  Stockholm  ren- 
dezvous was,  we  were  informed,  a  fair  specimen. 

While  walking  around  the  outer  ruin  of  the  city,  and,  when 
about  to  cross  one  of  the  bridges,  of  the  Fyrisa,  at  the  Northern 
extremity  of  Upsala,  we  were  met  by  a  young  man  of  apparently 
twenty  years — a  peasant  boy,  as  we  judged  by  his  dress  and 
general  appearance.  When  we  had  approached  within  a  few 
feet  of  him  he  suddenly  changed  his  demeanor  from  that  of  a 
quiet  passer-by  to  that  of  an  active  dancer  1  He  jumped  up 
immediately  in  front  of  us  and  began  those  peculiar  tangle- 
legged  movements  to  which  we  have  already  been  compelled  to 
refer.  There  could  be  no  mistaking  his  condition  or  its  cause  ; 
in  fact  he  left  us  in  no  doubt  on  that  score,  by  the  language 
which  he  used  on  this  occasion.  He  said,  in  substance,  while 
actively  engaged  in  his  saltatory  exercise — or,  perhaps,  to  be 
more  accurate,  I  should  say,  he  shouted  :  "You  think  yourself 
very  fine,  no  doubt  I  But  what  would  I  be  if  I  had  your  nice 
clothes  on  me  !  Give  me  your  coat  and  see  what  a  noble  look- 
ing fellow  I  will  be."  We  replied  to  the  effect  that  his  coat 
seemed  to  be  manly,  if  not  quite  as  good  as  that  on  our  own 
shoulders.  To  this,  the  young  man  replied:  "Ah  !  but  look 
at  the  difference  in  the  style.  You  have  had  your  coat  cut  by 
a  Frenchman.  IMy  mother  made  mine,  and  she  is  a  good 
woman.  But  she  don't  know  what  stuff  I  have  got  in  me  to- 
day. I  have  pot  the  liveliest  stuff  in  me  that  I  ever  had  in  my 
hfe.  You  think  yourself  very  wise,  no  doubt.  I  do  not  speak 
to  suit  you,  but  I  can  whip  any  one  of  my  weight,  single 
handed."  There  was  a  concert  of  assent  ;  there  could  not  be 
any  doubt  about  that.  At  this  juncture  up  came  a  policeman, 
who  began  reasoning,  or  attempting  to  reason  with  the  rampant 
youth  ;  who  never  left  off  from  his  dancing — no,  not  for  a  mo- 
ment. Said  the  gentle  custodian  of  the  peace:  "Go  home, 
Carl,  and  behave  yourself  You  are  disgracing  your  poor  old 
mother.  I  shall  have  to  take  you  up  and  lock  you  up."  Noth- 
ing daunted  at  tl^.is,  the  response  was  immediate  and  jovial  : 
"  You're  a  good  fellow  ;  I  know  you  well.     I  knew  you  before 


236  ^OR  THERN  E  UR  OPE. 

you  got  all  those  brass  buttons  on  you.  I  knew  your  mother 
and  your  father,  too,  before  you.  Put  that  coat  on  me  and  I 
can  whip  all  the  other  policemen  in  the  city." 

As  we  turned  away,  the  young  man  was  still  continuing  his 
half  defiant  and  half  badgering  speech  to  the  expostulating 
officer  of  the  law. 


XX. 

AT   STOCKHOLM. 

Herr  C.  J.  Meyerberg,  the  Inspector  of  Schools  at  Stock- 
holm is  certainly  a  remarkable  man.  Remarkable  in  his 
scholarship  and  in  his  popularity.  Or,  perhaps,  with  reference 
to  the  last  mentioned  standpoint,  it  should  be  said  that  it  is 
very  strange  .that  the  people  of  a  large  city  like  Stockholm  have 
been  so  uniformly  discriminating  as  to  elect  him  twenty-two 
times  in  twenty-two  consecutive  vears.  Herr  Meyerbeig  writes 
and  speaks  a  score  of  languages,  and  in  his  tastes  and  manner 
he  has  the  simplicity  which  is  the  usual  characteristic  of  eminent 
scholars  and  instructors.  [He  has  always  refused  to  allow  his 
photograph  to  be  taken — even  declining  when  we  begged  for 
one  sitting  for  our  engraver's  copy.] 

It  seems  as  if  we  must  say  of  almost  every  distinguished  per- 
son with  whom  we  come  in  contact  in  Sweden — as  well  as  of 
the  people  of  the  peasantry  order — that  he  or  she  particularly 
delights  in  showing  a  kmdness  to  an  American  citizen,  I  have 
tried  to  ascertain  whether  the  English  or  German  or  French 
travellers  had  a  similar  impression  as  to  cordial  welcome  and 
gladly  rendered  service  with  respect  to  their  countrymen,  on  the 
part  of  the  men  and  women  of  this  land  who  have  greeted  us. 
And  while  I  am  not  positive  in  every  instance,  I  believe  that 
the  preference  has  been  admitted  as  unmistakably  for  persons 
hailing  from  the  United  States.  And,  indeed,  why  should  it 
not  be  so }     Why  not,  indeed  !     We  have  nearly  or  quite  a 


ATS  TOCKHOLM.  237 

million  of  men  and  women  in  our  Union  who  were  born  in 
this  little  kingdom  !  And  we  receive  from  20,000  to  50,000 
Swedish  immigrants  annuall}-. 

Herr  Meyerberg  resides  on  tlie  third  floor  of  a  huge  building  ; 
nearly  as  large  as  the  Morton  House,  New  York,  or  Bancroft "s 
book  house  in  San  Francisco,  But  the  exterior  is  more  like  a 
wholesale  store  and  warehouse  on  Broadway,  New  York,  than 
like  the  front  of  either  building  named.  And  this  I  mention, 
to  add  that  this  description  will  answer  for  most  of  the  older 
and  larger  edifices  on  the  main  business  streets  of  Stockholm. 

We  have  to  wait  but  a  few  minutes  on  the  landing  after  the 
maid  has  taken  our  cards  before  the  professor  appears  at  the 
door;  calling  out,  "Be  so  good,  be  so  good,"  with  a  hearty 
emphasis.  He  says  that  he  must  apologize  for  being  in  such 
haste  to  welcome  us  that  he  forgot  to  change  his  dressing-gown 
for  a  frock  coat ;  and  he  bids  us  wait  for  him  in  the  library 
while  he  puts  on  proper  attire.  When  we  tell  him  that  this 
evidence  of  quickness  to  salute  us  is  very  agreeable,  he  laughs 
and  explains:  "Well,  you  must  not  mind  an  old  bachelor's 
ways  in  welcoming  his  friends.  I  expect  that  a  mairied  man  is 
taught  to  be  more  particular  about  his  dress  when  he  answers 
a  summons  for  a  visitor  at  his  own  door." 

Over  six  feet  high,  strong  and  lithe  of  frame,  of  age  about 
fifty-five,  with  a  countenance  always  expressive  of  good  nature, 
but  devoid  of  any  grinning  habit ;  a  thoroughly  frank  and 
aftable  gentleman, — with  "no  airs,"  as  we  would  say.  This  is 
a  true  description,  so  far  as  it  goes,  of  Herr  Meyerberg,  In- 
spector of  Schools  in  Stockholm  these  twenty-two  years  last 
past.  Of  course,  I  write  of  him  now  after  an  acquaintance  that 
extended  over  several  weeks  ;  but  we  had  the  correct  impression 
about  him  the  moment  we  saw  him  brushing  past  his  servant 
and  bidding  us  enter  his  sitting  room  and  library. 

"You  see,"  said  the  professor,  "that  I  have  a  pretty  fair 
assortment  of  English  books  for  a  Swedish  school  superinten- 
dent;  "  pointing  to  a  dozen  long;  shelves  filled  with  volumes 
from  American  and  English  publication  houses.  Wo  noticed 
Hon.  S.^  S.  Cox's  latest  volume — "  From  the  Arctic  to  the  Bos- 
phorus" — whereupon  the  Inspector  exclaimed:  "O  yes,  I 
prize  him  very  highly.      He  is  a  very  humorous  man,  and  as  it 


238  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

also  appears,  a  profound  and  brilliant  Statesman,  And  here  is 
a  report  from  San  Francisco,"  he  said,  showing  us  a  volume 
which  bore  the  signature  of  John  Swett,  "  I  see  by  the  picture 
that  you  have  splendid  school  buildings  ;  and  I  judge  that  your 
children  have  as  good  facilities  for  acquiring  an  education  as 
any  other  boys  and  girls — outside  of  Sweden."  There  was  a 
furtive  glance  and  a  sly  twinkle  in  his  eyes  as  he  uttered  this 
last  clause — as  though,  among  other  things,  he  would  like  to 
test  our  amiability,  and  yet  did  not  wish  to  say  anything  that 
could  be  construed  as  offensive  boasting.  He  saw  that  we  cer- 
tainly were  not  irritated  by  his  assumption  of  superiority  for  his 
country's  methods  of  instruction,  etc.,  and  so  he  went  on  in  the 
same  strain  :  "  We  ought  to  be  ahead  of  you  in  school  matters 
in  some  respects.  I  think  we  can  decide  more  quickly,  and 
put  in  operation  with  less  difficulty.  Of  course  you  know  that 
our  school  house  and  our  steam  launch  took  the  first  prizes  at 
the  Centennial  Exhibition  ?  "  Yes,  we  knew  this  ;  and  we  had 
recently  had  the  pleasure  of  riding  in  the  little  vessel — now 
called  the  Filadelfia  and  running  on  Lake  Malaren — by  which 
the  medal  was  captured  in  one  department  of  the  Centennial. 
As  for  the  school  houses  :  why,  Herr  Meyerberg  might  do  us 
the  honor  of  showing  us  some  of  them  himself  ?  Of  course 
he  would  ;  nothing  could  afford  him  m.ore  satisfaction  ;  and  he 
would  make  another  change — put  on  another  coat — and  go  out 
with  us  immediately. 

It  was  vacation  time  ;  but  perhaps  there  were  some  advan- 
tages in  a  visit  at  this  season,  to  partly  counterbalance  the  loss 
which  was  evident  and  unmistakable.  We  should  have  been 
glad  to  see  the  boys  and  girls  together  in  their  study  and  reci- 
tation rooms,  and  in  their  gymnasiums  ;  but,  as  Herr  Meyer- 
berg observed,  it  was  not  very  difficult  to  imagine  how  they 
would  look  and  act  if  the  places  which  they  occupied  in  the 
school  year  were  filled  by  them.  W^e  could  examine  the  build- 
ing and  the  grounds  as  carefully  as  we  wished.  He  introduced 
us  to  the  janitors,  and  said  :  "  Let  these  people  come  and  visit 
here  when  they  like.  And  if  they  wish  to  see  anything  in  par- 
ticular, no  matter  if  it  is  for  the  seventh  time,  show  it  to  them. 
They  are  Americans,  and  what  is  better  still,  they  are  Califor- 
niansJ"     "O  !  Californians  !  "  the  janitors  would  invariably 


A  T  STOCKHOLM.  239 

exclaim — with  a  glance  and  a  gesture  and  bow  that  sl|;piined  a 
respectful  and  cordial  ^velcome.  The  school  edifices  in  Stock- 
holm are  of  the  best — as  good  as  stone  foundations  and  brick 
walls  can  make  the  exterior.  [The  view  elsewhere  given  of  the 
Grammar  and  Commercial  School  at  Norrkoping,  is  in  most 
respects  a  truly  "specimen  edifice."  It  cost  ^175,000,  in  1868 
— equivalent  to  a  cost  for  material  and  labor  with  us  of  not 
less  than  $300,000.  The  Stockholm  school-houses  cost  from 
^85,000  to  .$150,000.]  Within,  the  arrangements  are  uniformly 
of  that  excellent  pattern  which  has  given  Sweden  the  first 
name  in  this  respect,  the  vv^orld  over.  On  the  gymnasium  es- 
pecial care  is  bestowed  ;  and  plenty  of  space  is  devoted  to 
each  apparatus,  so  that  there  shall  be  no  crowding  by  way  of 
injudicious  proximity  of  swings  and  cross  bars,  etc.  Usually 
in  Sweden  the  gymnasium  is  in  or  attached  to  the  school  build- 
ing proper  ;  but  sometimes,  as  at  Westeras,  the  exercise  hall  is 
in  a  separate  structure.  "  It  is  amazing  !  "  once  exclaimed 
Herr  Meyerberg,  as  we  were  walking  in  the  Djurgarden,  and 
recurring  to  his  favorite  topic,  ' '  that  your  people  do  not  in- 
variably have  a  room  or  l)uilding  for  gymnastic  exercises  for 
the  scholars  in  your  public  schools,  in  every  large  town  in 
America.  I  believe  that  you  have  the  phrase,  '  tempting  Provi- 
dence.' Well,  it  seems  to  me  that  you  tempt  Providence  by 
failing  at  this  day  of  civilization  and  enlightenment  to  have  as 
good  facilities  for  gymnastic  training  as  we  give  our  children, 
in  or  adjacent  to  our  school  houses  in  Sweden.  What  do  yon 
mean  by  being  so  slow  in  coming  up  to  our  standard,  or  at 
least  to  the  German  standard,  in  this  matter  ?  O  !  it  is  out- 
rageous !  "  And  the  Inspector  shook  his  head,  as  though  he 
was  reflecting  upon  a  deficiency  for  which  he  was  somehow  par- 
tially personally  responsible. 

"  I  wish  you  would  come  over  and  lecture  to  our  folks  on 
the  subject,"  said  I  ;  "although  I  believe  the  plan  of  providing 
those  facilities  of  which  you  speak  is  now  being  considered  and 
acted  upon  very  extensively  in  the  United  States."  ''''Ydid 
lecture  to  your  people  on  the  subject.  I  gave  some  of  them 
good  talks  about  it,  you  may  be  sure,  when  I  was  Commis- 
sioner to  the  Centennial."  And  hereupon  the  Inspector  began 
to  laugh  audibly  to  himself.     We  told  Herr  Meyerberg  about 


240  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

our  familiar  phrase,  "  A  penny  for  your  thoughts."     "  Well," 
said  he,  half  checking  his  chuckle,  "  I  will  soon  let  you  know 
what  I  was  thinking  about  ;    but  you  must  let  me  snicker — I 
believe  that  is  your  word  precisely — and  a  good  word  to  ex- 
press what  the  action  is.     You  must  let  me  snicker  a  little 
more."     And  he  did  giggle — still  to  himself  as  it  were— for 
fully  half  a  minute.     "  You  will  pardon  me  ;    I   hope  I  have 
not  been  guilty  of  bad  manners,  but  really  I  cannot  prevent  a 
rising  disposition  to  laugh  when  I  speak  of  my  speech-making 
experience  in  America.     I  can  make  my  apology  best  and  suf- 
ficient— if  one  is  needed  or  proper — by  relating  to  you  some- 
thing of  that  experience.     I  was  called  upon  suddenly,  the  first 
time  I  made  an  appearance  on  any  stage  in  company  with  Eng- 
lish speaking  gentlemen  in  the  United  States,  and  I  felt  a  de- 
gree of  embarrassment  that  I  cannot  express,  when  I  got  up  to 
reply.     But  after  the  first  few  sentences,  confidence  seemed  to 
come  to  me  as  by  a  sort  of  inspiration — and  I  went  ahead, 
with  misgivings,  at  times,  it   is   true,  about  my  grammar  and 
pronunciation,  but  without  much  hesitation.     I  met  with  most 
vociferous  applause  ;   and  when  I  had  finished  dozens  of  per- 
sons came  up  to  me  and  congratulated  me  ;  and  said,  '  You 
speak  as  well  as  a  native.     Where  did  you  learn  your  excellent 
English  ? '     Well,  I  was  very  proud  of  my  first  effort  in  this 
line,  which  was  a  success  no  doubt  ;    but  I  very  soon  repented. 
After  that  it  was  nothing  but  calling  for  speeches,  and  speeches, 
and  speeches.     Some  committee  or  delegation  got  me  down  to 
Baltimore  on  one  occasion,  and  they  brought  me  to  the  plat- 
form and  began  the  proceedings  with  the  remark,  *  Superinten- 
tendent   Meyerberg,  of   Stockholm,   Sweden,  will  address   the 
convention   this  afternoon.'     And  so   I   arose  and  spoke  for 
about  an  hour  and  then  indicated  that  I  was  about  to  take  my 
seat.     But  no  !     They  commenced  asking  me  questions  ;    and 
as   soon  as  I   had  finished  one  reply,  up  would  jump  another 
teacher  with  another  question.     This  thing  began  about  two 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,   and  at  about  half-past  five — after 
many  attempts  to   sit   down   and  many  distinct  appeals  for  a 
respite — I  concentrated  my  remaining  vitality  and  threw  it  into 
a  shout.     'No!     I  won't  say  another  word.     I  have  talked 
until  I  am  exhausted.     If  you  don't  let  me  go  and  get  some- 


A  T  STOCKHOLM. 


241 


thing  to  eat  and  drink,  I  shall  call  a  policeman.*  And  I 
meant  what  I  said.  But  do  you  know,  this  remark  seemed 
to  make  them  more  anxious  than  ever  that  I  should  go  on  ; 
and  they  continued  crying  to  me  to  go  on  ;  that  they  would 
stay  there  all  the  evening  and  listen  to  me — and  many  other 
little  flattering  suggestions  and  promises  of  that  character. 
Well,  I  told  them  to  please  let  me  go  out,  and  they  could 
wait  there  until  I  came  back.  And  they  were  vastly  amused 
at  this  most  innocent  remark  of  mine.  irs.  fact  it  didn't  seem 
as  if  I  could  open  my  mouth  without  getting  off  what  they 
called  'a  good  thing.'  O  !  it  was  frightful — the  way  they  ap- 
plauded me  !  But  1  finally  plumped  down  quick  on  the  edge 
of  a  bench  that  happened  to  be  vacated  just  at  that  moment, 
and  tliere  I  sat  and  looked  forcibly-feebly  at  that  audience, 
and  let  them  keep  on  trying  to  get  me  to  'go  on,'  until  they 
became  convinced  that  I  was  not  to  be  forced  into  any  more 
eloquence.  The  fact  was  that  I  was  nearly  dead  with  fatigue. 
O  !  I  never  saw  such  a  people  to  sit  and  listen  to  speeches. 
Talk  about  the  Americans  loving  to  talk  themselves  ?  I  never 
saw  such  Listeners.  As  I  say,  I  was  very  much  flattered  at 
fust  by  my  wonderful  excellence  of  speech  ;  but  I  almost  rued 
the  day,  sometimes,  when  I  acquired  familiarity  with  the 
English  tongue.  And  yet  I  ought  not  to  say  that  ;  for  we 
did  have  a  glorious  welcome  in  America,  and  I  would  not 
have  you  think  that  I  did  not  appreciate  the  kindness  of  my 
entertainers.  O  !  you  American  people  ;  you  are  the  most 
hospitable  and  the  politest  on  earth."  This  last  sentence  the 
Inspector  uttered  with  great  vehemence  ;  the  words  came 
from  him  with  such  sonorous  volume  that  I  was  reminded  of 
Dickens'  description  of  the  manner  in  which  Boythorn  once 
talked  in  the  presence  of  Esther  Summerson. 

The  number  of  private  charities  in  Stockholm  is  very  large. 
We  have  visited  several,  and  among  the  most  interesting  is 
the  school  for  feeble-minded  children,  at  which  we  stopped 
one  day  while  on  a  circuit  of  calls  with  Herr  Meyerberg. 
Madame  Rappe,  a  widow  lady  of  titles,  since  the  death  of  her 
noble  husband  has  opened  and  taken  charge  of  this  asylum 
for  these  unfortunate  creatures.  At  the  time  of  our  intro- 
duction, she  had  thirty-five  pupils,  ranging  in  years  from  four 


242  ^  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

to  nineteen.  In  the  "  System,"  all  have  their  hours  for  work 
as  well  as  play  ;  but  it  is  with  respect  to  their  recreation  that 
the  most  difficulty  is  experienced.  In  the  juincipal  work- 
room for  the  girls,  nine  children  were  gathered  ;  making  lace 
of  various  kinds,  and  knitting  stockings  and  bags.  The  de- 
gree of  intelligence  which  many  of  these  pupils  indicated  led 
us  to  inquire  with  a  more  curious  and  anxious  interest  than 
would  have  been  otherwise  excited,  as  to  their  history  and  the 
manifestations  by  which  they  were  accounted  deficient  in  in- 
tellect. All  had  been  set  down  as  incorrigibly  stupid,  before 
they  were  brought  to  this  institution.  Here,  as  before  inti- 
mated, the  great  trouble  was  to  induce  them  to  play  rather 
than  labor.  Colors  and  tidies  of  the  most  intricate  designs 
were  produced  by  them  ;  usually  faithful  copies  of  a  pattern, 
but  sometimes  in  all  respects  the  original  work  of  their  own 
brains  and  hands.  In  some  instances  articles  were  shown 
that  had  been  brought  to  table-cover  perfection — (embroidered 
cloths) — from  the  wool  and  cotton,  spun,  woven  and  adorned 
by  these  girls  on  these  premises — just  as  they  themselves 
"took  a  notion."     So  said  Madame  Rappe. 

But  few  of  them  looked  up  as  we  entered  ;  and  no  one  of 
them  vouchsafed  more  than  a  momentary  glance  during  our 
entire  stay,  unless  specially  directed  to  do  so  by  the  devoted 
mistress.  Their  obedience  was  perfect ;  and  it  was  evident 
that  they  loved  the  lady  with  passionate  fondness.  One  big, 
lubberly  boy  of  about  fourteen  years — ("  here  among  the  girls 
by  his  special  request,"  said  Madame  Rappe) — who  sat  in  a 
corner,  engaged  in  heeling  a  stocking,  gave  us  a  sharp,  re- 
proving look  when  we  spoke  to  him  ;  but  when  the  Madame 
called  him  by  name,  he  smiled, — in  a  half-idiotic  way  it  is  true, 
but  in  a  manner  that  clearly  indicated  his  great  pleasure 
in  being  addressed  in  the  tones  of  her  voice.  He  laid  his 
knitting  on  his  knee  and  awaited  her  orders,  with  an  expres- 
sion that  unmistakably  signified  anxiety  to  promptly  do  her 
bidding. 

We  bought  some  little  specimen  articles  for  household  use 
— the  product  of  the  pupils.  Hereupon  one  of  the  girls  in 
attendance,  who  had  been  among  the  most  industrious,  rose 
and  curtesied  three  or  four  times.     We  had  selected  from  her 


I 


AT  S TO CKHOLM.  ? 4 3 

box,  and  she  had  noted  the  choice  by  an  "eye-corner  observa- 
tion," as  the  matron  assured  us.  This  acknowledgment  and 
expression  of  pride  and  gratitude  was  from  her  own  unaided 
thought  and  will.  She  had  not  been  trained  to  observe  and 
recognize  a  preference  for  her  handiwork. 

Here  also  is  the  slojdskola  for  the  boys  ;  and  we  witnessed 
nine  or  ten  busily  engaged  in  the  shop,  and  apparently  mak- 
ing as  much  progress  as  their  wiser  and  wittier  brothers  and 
sisters  in  the  basements  of  the  public  schools.  And  so  Ave 
come  to  speak  of  the  slojdskola,  on  which  the  Swedes  lay 
some  special  boasting  emphasis,  when  talking  of  their  educa- 
sional  training.  Connected  with  all  the  primary  and  grammar 
schools  of  Stockholm  and  with  the  principal  schools  in  almost 
every  city  and  town  that  we  have  visited  in  the  kingdom  is  a 
shop  in  which  children  are  regularly  taught  to  use  edged  tools. 
The  instruction  begins  with  the  child  of  four,  and  may  take 
in  the  youth  of  eighteen.  Of  course,  there  is  a  graduating 
point,  and  then  pupils  become  teachers  as  well  as  master 
workmen.  The  beginning  is  with  pegs  ;  and  from  that  up  to 
the  most  complicated  work-box  there  is  a  prescribed  grade  of 
pattern.  Elaborate  reports  have  been  published  respecting 
the  utility  of  this  instruction  :  and  similar  schools  have  been 
or  are  about  to  be  started  in  Boston  and  at  some  other  points 
in  the  United  States. 

On  the  article  made  is  a  record  kept  of  the  number — as 
No.  I,  or  No.  2,  or  No.  3,  etc. — the  age  of  the  boy  making 
the  article,  his  name,  and  the  time  he  consumes  in  the  manu- 
facture. As,  for  instance,  I  have  before  me  a  ruler,  accu- 
rately shaped  and  handsomely  polished.  On  it  the  label 
reads  as  follows  : 

Klara  Slojdskola. 

Nr.  7  Utfordt  pa  3  timmar  af, 

Elis  Larm, 

12  ar,  undervisad  i  slodj  26  timmar. 

Godhandt, 
Stockholm,  7-7,  1883.     T.  Anderson, 

A^itso  Roads Slojdlarare. 


244  ^OR  THERN  E  UROPE. 

A  paper  cutter  and  a  match  box,  of  superior  workmanship, 
are  on  the  desk  on  which  I  write  ;  the  former  made  in  twenty- 
two  minutes  by  Otto  Peterson,  eleven  years  of  age,  and  the 
latter  made  in  262  minutes  by  Hugh  Anderson,  twelve  years 
old — the  tenth  article  of  the  kind  from  the  same  hands. 

It  is  claimed  for  this  instruction  that  it  is  useful  and  bene- 
ficial in  many  ways;  that  it  must  advantageously  train  the 
hand  and  eye  to  practical  service  ;  and  that  it  is  a  fascinating 
employment  for  the  youngsters,  who  would  otherwise,  in  the 
course  of  nature,  be  engaged  in  sports  or  idleness.  Care  is 
taken  not  to  trench  upon  time  that  ought,  for  the  purposes  of 
health,  to  be  devoted  to  play.  But,  perhaps,  as  will  be  in- 
ferred without  the  saying,  to  many  this  is  in  all  respects  an 
industry  which  is  the  equivalent  of  games  that  involve  much 
pliysical  exercise. 

A  ready  sale  is  found  for  such  articles  so  produced,  as  are 
of  creditable  workmanship  ;  and  in  Upsala  there  is  a  large 
store  full  of  useful  woodenware  that  is  exclusively  from  the 
skilled  hands  of  the  schoolboys  of  Sweden.  A  certain  pro- 
portion of  the  receipts  for  these  wares  is  sometimes  credited 
and  ultimately  paid  to  the  ingenious  pupil.  The  attraction  to 
the  youth  that  is  found  in  this  industry — always  pursued  in  a 
regular  class  and  under  a  special  master,  the  same  as  in  other 
matters  of  study — is  perhaps  sufficiently  evinced  by  the  fact 
that  during  this  vacation  time  the  slojd  schools  are  full  of 
lads,  anxious  to  retain  or  improve  their  skill  at  carpenter  and 
cabinet  making — in  the  domain  of  the  apprentice. 

The  law  making  attendance  at  public  or  private  school  com- 
pulsory was  passed  in  1842.  In  1883  ninety-eight  per  cent, 
of  the  children  of  the  prescribed  age  were  recorded  as  pupils 
in  the  public  academ.ies  or  on  the  rolls  of  the  ambulatory 
teachers,  or  catalogued  as  receiving  equally  careful  instruc- 
tion at  home.  The  greater  portion  of  the  remaining  two 
per  cent,  is  accounted  for  by  the  lists  of  sick  and  mentally 
infirm. 

The  hospitals  here  are  on  "the  pavilion  plan."  No  man 
can  be  a  surgeon  or  a  medical  ])ractitioner  in  Sweden  until  he 
shall  Jiave  attained  the  age  of  thirty  ;  and  then  only  upon 
strict  inquiry  and  due  examination.     At  least  it  is  safe  to  be- 


AT  STOCKHOLM.  245 

lieve  that  the  doctor  in  this  kingdom  understands  the  anatomy 
of  the  human  body,  which  he  is  called  in  to  look  at  and  pre- 
scribe for.  But  as  I  have  overheard  them  talk  and  watched 
their  operations  in  the  performing  room,  it  did  not  occur  to 
me  that  these  Swedish  physicians  and  surgeons  exhibited  any 
more  skill  than  the  average  of  our  American  doctors,  of  ages 
between  twenty-one  and  one  score  and  ten.  Of  course,  I  am 
not  competent  to  make  a  very  important  judgment  in  the 
premises  ;  but  I  have  had  a  considerable  amount  of  layman- 
observation  in  this  line,  and  I  venture  to  pass  my  conclusion 
for  what  it  is  worth.  (I  believe  there  is  a  large  amount  of 
office  practice  in  the  cities  of  Sweden  that  is  really  conducted 
by  those  who  are  under  the  age  fixed  for  open  announcement 
as  physicians.)  I  saw  a  woman's  broken  arm  set  and  ban- 
daged at  a  Stocholm  hospital,  and  I  have  the  audacity  to  say 
that  I  have  witnessed  a  like  operation  more  quickly  and 
neatly  performed  by  Dr.  David  Wooster  of  San  Francisco, 
when  he  was  a  very  young  man. 

There  are  just  six  large  gardens  with  cafes  or  restaurants 
attached,  in  Stockholm.  The  principal  ones  are  at  Hassel- 
backjn  (Hazel  Hill).  At  Hasselbacken  there  is  the  best 
cafe  and  restaurant  in  the  city.  There  are  completely  en- 
closed and  also  fan-shaped  and  sounding  board  open-air 
music  stands.  There  is  the  famous  oak  under  which  Karl 
Bellman  wrote  some  of  his  most  popular  songs — a  bronze 
statue  of  the  poet  being  conspicuous  in  the  garden.  "Our 
Tom  Moore,"  said  one  of  our  Swedish  friends — pointing  to 
the  figure  as  we  passed.  The  Stromparterre,  is  at  one  side 
of  the  bridge  that  leads  directly  from  the  front  of  the  castle. 
The  Mosebach,  is  on  the  Hill  of  Moses.  There  is  good 
music  at  all  of  these  in  the  evenings,  and  on  some  afternoons. 
At  Mosebach  can  be  had  the  finest  view  of  the  city  and  its 
surroundings  ;  and  an  ascent  to  it  may  be  made  in  an  ele- 
vator that  starts  at  a  point  on  Glasbruk  street,  which  is  only 
a  few  feet  from  and  above  the  level  of  the  sea  harbor.  The 
scene  from  the  tower  immediately  above  the  elevator  landing, 
especially  at  sunrise  and  sunset,  is  magnificent.  It  is  the 
popular  photograph-album  view  ol  the  capital. 


246 


NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


At  this  date — in  August — it  seemed  too  chilly  for  outdoor 
or  cafe  enjoyment ;  but  the  people  here  to  the  manner-born 
are  not  of  that  opinion.  They  crowd  the  gardens  every  night, 
with  the  mercury  low  down  among  the  fifties — as  our  ther- 
mometers would  measure  it ;  and  they  cannot  repress  a  re- 
proachful expression — by  word  or  look — when  we  suggest 
that  it  is  perhaps  a  trifle  cool  for  perfectly  serene  delight  at 
an  open  air  restaurant  table.  '*  Do  you  feel  cold  ?  Indeed  ! 
You  had  better  take  a  little  pomerans,  and  eat  some  lax. 
Lax  is  warming  !  "     Now  lax  is  salmon  ;  and  it  is  brought 


VIEW    OF    HASSELBACKEN,    STOCKHOLM. 

on  these  tables  in  a  nearly  raw  state.  And  this  is  one  thing 
that  may  sometmes  somewhat  reduce  the  poignancy  of  regret 
at  leaving  this  beautiful  land. 

At  the  Stromparterre  we  saw  a  party  of  Fins,  on  their  way 
to  America.  Herr  Meyerberg  knew  them  at  once — knew  their 
nativity,  and  their  "  classification,"  as  he  termed  it.  He  con- 
versed'with  them,  and  learned  that  among  the  five  men  there 
Avas  over  $8,000  in  gold.  They  were  going  to  buy  land  in 
Montana  and   send   for   their  wives  when  they  had   built  a 


AT  STO CKHOLM.  247 

house.  "Some  of  them  don't  send  for  their  wives,"  remarked 
our  friend  ;  "  and  that  is  a  not  infrequent  faihng  with  Swedes 
who  go  to  America  and  leave  their  families  behind  them.  A 
Swede  is  a  very  bad  man  when  he  is  bad,"  added  the  in- 
spector with  that  most  agreeable  smile,  which,  being  inter- 
preted, signified  :  *'  You  see,  I  will  claim  superiority  at  all 
points."  Hereupon  a  little  child  hummingly  interjected  an 
American  nursery  rhyme,  about  a  girl  that  was  very  good  when 
she  was  good,  but  when  she  was  bad  she  was  horrid.  The 
great  teacher  was  charmed  with  the  appropriate  quotation — as 
he  repeatedly  described  it — and  wanted  to  impress  it  on  his 
memory  ;  asking  for  its  repetition,  and  himself  repeating  it  for 
memorizing  purposes,  in  a  way  that  was  full  of  humor. 

The  matter  of  gymnasiums  in  the  schools  came  up  again. 
"  You  see  what  a  strong  man  I  appear  to  be,"  said  Herr  Mey- 
erberg  ;  and  he  arose  from  his  seat  and  stretched  his  arm::  in 
an  Ajax-defying-the-lightning  fashion.  "  Well,  it  was  not  al- 
ways so.  I  have  had  ray  trials.  My  mother  and  a  sister  died 
of  consumption  under  my  care.  I  was  predisposed  the  same 
way  ;  but  I  went  into  regular  training,  and  now  you  think  I  am 
a  strong  man  ?  I  have  been  a  powerful  man  in  my  best  years, 
and  I  am  not  a  weak  man  now."  From  this  the  Inspector 
went  on  to  describe  the  various  methods  of  school  gymnasiums; 
showing  some  of  the  mistakes  that  had  been  made  in  the  way 
of  overdoing  and  misdirecting,  by  exclusive  practice  with  one 
set  of  apparatus,  etc. 

He  suddenly  changed  the  subject  by  saying  :  '*  You  see 
those  people  coming  down  the  stairs  !  They  are  what  you 
would  call,  or  what  some  other  persons  would  call,  of  the 
Plebian  order  ;  the  same  as  those  Finish  men  by  the  railing 
yonder.  Well,  a  few  years  ago  there  was  a  distinction  made 
in  the  attendance  at  these  gardens,  and  only  those  of  the 
higher  classes,  as  they  are  called,  were  permitted  to  come  here 
and  drink  and  sup.  Not  so  now.  We  are  as  much  on  the 
social  equality,  as  far  as  public  gardens  are  concerned,  as  you 
are  in  America.  This  change  has  taken  place  within  a  com- 
paratively recent  period." 

We  spoke  of  our  visit  to  Delecarlia  and  alluded  to  the  prac- 
tice of  men  and  maidens  from  that  section  coming  down  to 


248  ^''0R  THERN   E  UROPE. 

Stockholm  to  work  during  the  Summer  season.  ''  Yes,  repHed 
the  Inspector,  "it  is  of  course  a  matter  of  great  mutual  advant- 
age. We  would  be  short  of  house  servants  if  these  strong  and 
useful  people  did  not  put  in  an  appearance.  They  are  from 
our  reservoir  of  help."  "  Do  they  often  make  their  permanent 
residence  here  ?  "  we  enquired.  "  No,  that  is  not  a  matter  of 
very  frequent  occurrence.  As  a  rule,  they  are  most  devotedly 
attached  to  their  native  districts.  They  generally  marry  one 
of  their  school  fellows.  They  are  often  betrothed  early  in  life, 
and  their  steadfastness  to  their  betrothal  vows  is  proverbial." 
"  They  give  a  stranger  the  impression  of  strength  fully  as  much 
as  of  beauty,"  we  remarked.  "Yes,  they  can  do  the  work  of 
men  the  whole  Summer  through  without  seeming  to  tire  under 
the  strain  ;  and  then  they  are  such  pleasant  workers — so  cheer- 
ful and  even  merry  at  their  tasks." 

We  mentioned  to  the  Inspector  our  suggestion  about  Swedish 
coffee  houses  with  Delecarlian  maids  in  costume  to  attend 
upon  customers.  "  Aha  !  that  would  indeed  be  a  good  enter- 
prise," he  exclaimed  ;  "but  I  am  afraid  the  partners  in  such 
establishments  would  have  to  keep  up  a  regular  procession  of 
Waitresses.  For  while  these  girls  do  not  readily  fall  in  love 
with  our  Stockholm  boys,  I  am  told  that  they  are  easily  pleased 
with  eligible  offers  of  marriage  from  Germans  and  Americans." 

Then  our  friend  sprang  up  and  walked  over  to  the  music 
stand  and  began  a  whispered  conversation  Avith  the  leader  of 
the  orchestra.  He  soon  came  back  with  a  sad  face  and  a 
shake  of  the  head  ;  and  saying :  "  He  has  not  got  the  music." 
"  What  music  ?  "  "I  wanted  him  to  play  the  Star-Spangled 
Bjnner  for  your  benefit,  but  he  is  very  sorry  to  say  that  he  has 
not  the  notes.  I  am  going  to  have  some  of  that  music  i-n  his 
portfolio  another  season.  I  have  given  their  conductor  a  hint 
about  its  being  a  good  card  for  the  garden,  and  I  will  speak 
about  it  in  our  paper,  too.  I  am  one  of  the  stockholders  in  a 
paper  that  has  as  great  a  circulation  as  any  in  Sweden. ' 
"  Will  you  also  mention  in  your  paper  the  desirableness  of 
having  an  American  flag  displayed  by  the  Minister  and  Con- 
sul of  the  U.  S.,  in  Stockholm,  at  least  on  the  4th  of  July  ?" 
[Herr  Meyerberg,  at  a  subsequent  conversation,  quite  agreed 
with  us  with  respect  to  the  bad  policy  of  commissioning  as  Min- 


AT  STO CKHOLM.  249 

ister  or  Consul  at  any  place  of  importance,  a  man  born  in  the 
country  wherein  he  was  to  represent  his  adopted  nation.     It 
would  seem  as  if  the  impropriety  of  such  appointments,  except  in 
rare  instances,  was  too  manifest  to  admit  of  occasion  for  regret 
or  protest  in  the  premises.    I  did  think  at  one  time,  that  I  would 
introduce  a  Bill  in  Congress  prohibing  the  appointments  depre- 
cated.]    "  Why,"  inquire^'  the  Inspector,  with  evident  surprise, 
'■  didn't  your  Consul  hang  out  the  banner  of  your  country  on 
the  outer  wall,  last  4th  of  July  ?  "     We  said  that  he  did  not. 
There  was  no  American  flag  to  be  seen  in  Stockholm  on  that 
day,  so  far  as  we  could  notice,  except  in  some  of  the  back 
streets,  where  a  soiled  and  ragged  specimen  bore  the  inscription 
of  the  Inman  trans- Atlantic  steamship  line.     "  Well,  you  have 
no  Minister  here  now."     "  But  Ave  have  a  Consul."     "  Well,  he 
is  a  Swedish  gentleman,  who  was  a  brave  man  in  your  wars. 
He  lost  a  leg  in  fighting  for  the  Union,     But  I  will  tell  you 
something,  that  may  in  part  excuse  him,  about  this  matter. 
We  do  not  even  observe  the  anniversary  of  our  King's  birthday 
here.     We  have  very   little  anniversary  enthusiasm  about  us. 
We  have  nothing  like  your  4th  of  July  '  racket.'     Still,  I  ad- 
mit   the   propriety  of   his  showing   his  colors  on   your  great 
Declaration  day.     It  must  have  slipped  his  mind."     "  If  we 
are   to   have  Consuls  and  Ministers  Plenipotentiary  at  all,"  a 
lady  in  our  party  insisted,  "  and  I  confess  I  cannot  see  much 
if  any  use  for  the  former,  they  should  be  men  whose  memor- 
ies are  not  defective  to  such  an  extent  on  such  a  subject.     It 
may  in  itself  be  considered  a  very  small  matter,  and  it  may  be 
indicative  of  much  slothfulness  or  indifference,  that  is  highly  re- 
prehensible."    "  You  are  right.     I  will  have  a  flag  out  mvself 
next   4th   of   July,  and  I  will   ha\e  this  band  play  Yankee 
Doodle."     The  lady  persisted  :    "  In   a   kingdom    that   has 
hundreds  of  thousands  of  its  children  in  the  United  States — 
some  of  them  and  a  great  many  of  them  in  the  service  of  the 
country  they  have  adopted — it  certainly  would  seem  natural 
to   expect  that  in  the  great  capital   city    the    American  flag 
would  be  seen  floating  from  some  house  tops  on  our  great  an- 
niversary."    "True,  true,  and  we  will  shame  your  represent- 
atives in  Stockholm  next  year,  if  they  don't  hoist  their  national 
bunting   bright  and  early  on  the  4th  day  of  the  memorable 
month." 


2^0 


A^OR  THERN  E  UROPE. 


There  is  an  English  church— a  small  but  handsome  edifice 
— situated  at  the  North  end  of  the  cilv,  and  here  we  attended 
divine  service  one  Sunday.  The  clergyman  prayed  for  the 
Queen  of  England  and  the  President  of  the  United  States. 
His  congregation  of  about  1 50  persons  was  fully  one-half  com- 
posed of  Americans,  native  and  naturalized.     There  were  three 


i 


ENGLISH    CHURCH,     STOCKHOLII. 


or  four  Swedish  girls  in  attendance,  from  whose  conversation 
as  they  came  out — which  was  necessarily  overheard — we  learned 
that  they  made  their  first  visit  to  this  church  on  that  morning  ; 
their  object  being  to  see  whether  it  would  be  of  any  benefit  to 
them  to  regularly  attend,  with  a  view  to  acquiring  a  knowledge 
of  our  tongue.      We  were  satisfied  that  they  were  playing  truant 


AT  STOCKHOLM.  25 1 

from  their  ovn  parish.  They  were  of  the  opinion  that  they 
would  still  be  in  time  to  hear  the  hour-and-a-half  discourse  that 
is  invariably  delivered  at  Kiara  Kyrka  on  every  First  Day  morn- 
ing. 

We  note  this  as  one  among  many  indications  of  the  wide- 
spread and  increasing  disposition  to  emigrate  to  America  among 
the  people  of  this  kingdom.  Even  little  maidens  of  twelve 
years  are  privately  making  ready  for  the  voyage,  by  seeking  and 
improving  opportunities  to  learn  the  English  language.  There 
is  abundant  room  and  welcome  for  them.  California  ought  to 
have  a  good  proportion  of  the  Swedish  immigration  of  the  next 
five  years.  By  a  little  well-directed  effort  on  the  part  of  our 
Immigration  Aid  Society,  California  could  call  and  receive 
many  thousands  of  Swedish  families  within  the  decade — men, 
women  and  children,  apt  and  accomplished  in  ail  the  arts  of 
agriculture  ;  industrious,  sober,  trustworthy,  and  having  a  deep 
religious  sense  of  duty. 

The  Royal  Palace,  which  was  consumed  by  fire  in  1697  was 
reconstructed  in  1753  by  Nicodemus  Tessin — at  a  cost  of 
$3,000,000  (representing  then  more  than  twice  that  amount, 
as  devoted  to  materials  and  labor  to-day).  Its  form  is  quadri- 
lateral;  length  418  feet,  and  width  391  feet.  There  is  a 
portico  to  each  facade,  leading  to  the  court-yard.  The  North- 
ern facade,  which  fronts  on  the  Norrbro  or  main  bridge 
avenue,  is  approached  by  a  double  flight  of  steps,  by  the  side 
of  which,  on  granite  pedestals,  are  two  immense  bronze  lions. 
Hence  the  name — Lcjonbackau  The  palace  is  always  open  to 
visitors  during  the  summer.  On  each  floor,  in  each  division, 
an  attendant  waits  ;  anxious  to  show  you  courtesies  and  win 
your  kroners.  There  are  583  rooms  in  the  palace  and  32 
kitchens.  To  inspect  them  all  you  need  at  least  five  hours  of 
time  and  you  must  fee  nine  flunkies.  It  is  suflicient  sight- 
seeing work  for  one  day — is  a  visit  to  all  the  halls,  apartments, 
bed-rooms,  dining-rooms  and  kitchen  range  rooms  that  are  ex- 
hibited. [I  do  not  write  at  length  of  the  Museum  or  of  the 
Picture  Galleries  or  of  the  Palace  Castle  itself;  because  I  must 
suppose  that  most,  if  not  all  my  readers,  who  have  felt  or  are 
likely  to  feel  any  special  interest  in  such  matters  will  have  al- 
ready learned  much  about  these  places  from  other  sources ;  and 


252 


NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


H 

o 

> 


H 
O 
O 

o 

f 


\ 


I 


A  T  STOCKHOLM. 


253 


mv  descriptions  might  seem  to  bo  wearisome  repit'tions  before 
their  eyes.  Many  inhabitants  of  Stockholm  are  or  profess  to 
be  very  much  incensed  on  account  of  tlie  arrangement  by  which 
each  suite  of  rooms  or  each  hall  or  set  of  lodging-apartments  is 
placed,  so  to  speak,  on  separate  exhibition,  at  separate  cost 
of  admission.  You  will  often  be  asked  whether  you  have 
visited  the  Castle  ;  and  whatever  may  be  your  reply  you  will 
probably  be  told  that  in  the  opinion  of  your  questioner  the 
palace  should  be  closed  against  ''unofficial  visitors  "  or  else 
provision  should  be  made  for  an  attendance  throughout  the 
entire  building.at  a  fixed  and  reasonable  sum.  So  that  even 
with  respect  to  this  little  matter,  the  people  of  Stockholm  are 
in  the  habit  of  expressing  their  sentiments  of  justice  and 
propriety,  by  due  proclamation  in  private  conversations.] 

The  ceiling  of  the  magnificent  Audience  Room,  painted  by 
Foquet,  represents  Venus  and  Mars  wedded  by  Love.  Above 
them  Hymen  is  dancing  with  his  torch,  while  Cupids  and 
Graces  are  strewing  flowers.  Summer,  in  the  form  of  woman 
offers  Mars  a  rose  ;  while  celestial  giants  are  engaged  in  ban- 
ishing the  devils  of  war.  The  ornaments  over  the  windows 
and  other  casings  represent  scenes  from  the  life  of  Alexander 
the  Great.  Two  candelabra,  29  feet  high,  are  such  splendid 
specimens  of  gilded  and  prismatic  adornments,  as  of  them- 
selves to  make  you  regret  that  the  time  allowed  for  inspec- 
tion here  is  so  brief.  The  grand  gallery  is  162  by  23  feet. 
You  are  requested  to  put  on  slippers,  before  you  walk  upon 
the  tessellated  floor.  The  massive  doors  are  of  carved  oak, 
and  are  wonderfully  attractive  to  all  kinds  of  visitors.  There 
are  a  great  number  of  marble  statues  around  the  gallery,  and 
several  groups  of  sculpture  by  Bystrom.  The  allegorical 
paintings  are  charming.  In  the  centre  of  the  ceiling,  in  the 
Western  galler}^  there  is  a  representation  of  Janus  with  Revolt 
breaking  her  fetters.  On  one  side  is  a  tiger  and  a  blind- 
folded fury.  On  the  other  side  is  Bellona,  mounted  on  a 
chariot,  and  pitilessly  crushing  her  enemies  beneath  the 
wheels.  Pity  is  represented  as  flying  with  one  child  in  her 
arms  and  another  by  her  side.  Religion  is  represented  as 
overthrown  by  war,  while  Discord  and  Jealousy,  with  torches 
and  serpents  in  hand  are  frightfully  conspicuous  at  the 
iront. 


254  NORTHERN   EUROPE. 

We  visited  the  study  of  the  late  King  which  is  kept  pre- 
cisely as  it  was  when  he  left  it.  There  is  a  book,  opened 
face  downwards  on  one  of  his  writing-desks, — exactly  as  he 
placed  it  with  his  own  hand.  A  general  idea  of  the  mag- 
nificence of  the  Festival  Hall  is  conveyed  by  the  other  name, 
that  visitors  have  given — "  The  White  Sea." 

In  the  audience  chamber  and  elsewhere,  servants  and  ar- 
tists were  at  work  cleaning  and  refurbishing  ;  and  from  all 
the  attendants  we  heard  the  story  of  great  expectations  for 
the  coming  Winter's  festivities. 

The  church  of  Riddarholmen,  192  feet  in  length  by  60  feet 
in  width,  is  of  Gothic  pattern.  The  old  tower  was  struck  by 
lightning  and  burned  down  in  1835  !  ^.nd  in  1847  the  new 
steeple,  of  iron  lattice-work — 302  feet  in  height — was  erected. 
There  has  been  no  divine  service  in  this  church  since  1807, 
except  on  the  occasion  of  a  burial  of  one  of  the  royal  family. 
Here  are  the  remains  of  the  great  Gustavus  Adolphus  ;  in  a 
sarcophagus  of  green  Italian  marble,  that  resembles  in  form 
the  marble  casing  in  which  the  great  Lord  Nelson  reposes 
under  the  dome  of  St.  Paul. 

Near  to  tne  entrance  of  this  Mausoleum  church — on  the 
left — is  a  vault  in  which  there  are  a  large  number  of  coffins 
which  appear  to  have  been  thrown  in,  on  top  of  each  other, 
without  much  reverential  respect  for  the  contents.  Big  and 
little,  they  lie  upon  and  over  against  each  other  in  a  promis- 
cuous manner,  which  suggests  that  they  had  "  outlived  their 
usefulness  "  as  attractions  on  which  the  Swedish  vergers  could 
dilate,  and  were  therefore  thrust  into  this  spare  recess  or  cel- 
lar without  conscience  or  ceremony. 

Surrounding  the  coffin  of  Charles  XV.,  who  died  in  1872, 
were  a  number  of  lighted  candles  ;  and  a  long  biographical 
or  genealogical  account  of  the  king's  family,  written  in  large 
and  almost  printed  letters, — on  one  sheet — lay  by  the  side  of 
the  inscription  plate.  Presumably  this  was  to  meet  or  satisfy 
the  curiosity  of  inquiring  visitors,  who,  it  might  be  supposed 
— (perhaps  experience  had  shown) — would  otherwise  torment 
the  vergers  by  absorbing  too  much  of  their  time  in  each  in- 
stance, with  demands  for  the  information  that  is  by  this  huge 
manuscript  conveyed. 


AT  STOCKHOLM. 


255 


RIDDARHOLMEN    CHURCH. 


256 


NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


The  national  churches  in  Stockhohn  very  much  resemble 
each  other  in  structure  and  appointments.  The  interior  of 
Jacob  Church,  which  is  shown  by  the  accompanying  engrav- 


INTERIOR   OF   JACOB   CHURCH,    STOCKHOLM. 

ing,  will  give  not  only  a  correct  idea  of  the  nave  and  altar  of 
that  particular  edifice,  but  will  serve  as  a  "  sample  "  for  the 
city. 


AT  STO CKIIOLM.  257 

The  great  theatre  is  situated  on  the  east  side  of  the  principal 
(Gustaf-Adolph)  square  ;  and  a  very  correct  representation 
of  the  view  from  the  stage  is  herewith  presented.  It  was 
erected  by  Gustavus  III.  in  1775-82.  You  will  be  reminded 
that  it  was  here  that  Gustavus  III.  was  assassinated  in  1792. 
All  the  seats  are  eligible,  tor  sight  and  sound  ;  its  acoustic 
virtues  and  its  adaptability  for  spectacular  pieces  being  toi)ics 
for  boasting  on  the  part  of  the  watchman  who  opens  the  doors 
and  escorts  the  visitors  in  the  Summer  season.  It  will  be 
remembered  that  here  Jenny  Lind  made  her  first  stage  ap- 
pearance— in  the  chorus. 

A  mere  recital  of  the  names  of  the  Libraries  and  Museums 
in  Stockholm,  will  sufficiently  indicate  to  most  readers  the 
formidable  and  fascinating  nature  of  the  demand  upon  the 
attention  of  the  intelligent  traveller  which  this  class  of  col- 
lections constitute.  The  Archives,  the  Belvedere,  the  Royal 
Library,  [a  large  portion  of  the  books  being  still  retained  at 
the  Palace,]  the  Library  of  the  Academy  of  Agriculture,  the 
Library  of  the  School  of  Art  and  Industry,  the  Library  of 
the  Conservatory,  the  Libraries  of  the  Polytechnical  School 
and  the  Academy  of  Sciences,  the  Museums  : — of  the  Acad- 
emy of  Agriculture,  of  the  Caroline  Medical  College,  of  the 
Zoological  Department,  and  the  Northern  Museum  (with 
First  and  Second  Annex) — where  the  attendants  are  all 
dressed  in  the  ])icturesque"  costumes  of  their  respective  Dele- 
carlian  Districts, — and,  above  all,  the  National  Museum.  In 
the  Northern  Museum,  models  of  houses,  and  specimens  of 
furniture,  clothing,  farm  implements,  domestic  utensils  and 
ancient  and  modern  bridal  ornaments,  combine  to  make  ex- 
hibitions of  intensely  fascinating  interest.  You  will  be  drawn 
to  them  again  and  again — alternately  prompted  to  re-read 
and  re-visit ;  and  trying  to  cheat  yourself  at  your  last  hour 
in  the  rooms,  with  the  promise  that  you  will  call  once  more  ! 
It  is  the  same  experience,  in  this  nature,  (although  of  entirely 
different  tone,  of  course,  that  you  have  at  Westminster,)  at 
your  farewell  visitation. 

The  National  Museum  building  is  a  splendid  edifice,  with 
Venitian  windows  and  a  magnificent  doorway  of  green  marble 
casings.     It  is   situated  on  the  Blasiiholnien,  opposite  the 


258 


.¥0J?  THERN  E  UROPE. 


KINGS   THEATRE,    STOCKHOLM. 


A  T  STOCKHOLM. 


259 


Royal  Palace.  It  has  seven  distinct  departments  : — Histori- 
cal, Coin-Cabinet,  Drawings  and  Engravings,  Sculptures, 
Armor  and  Weapons,  Picture  Gallery,  and  Collection  of 
Costumes,  Statues  of  Odin,  Thor  and  Baldur  confront  you 
with  coarse  but  not  unbenignant  faces,  as  you  enter.  The 
Prehistoric  Era  and  the  Bronze,  Iron,  Mediaeval  and  Modern 
Ages  are  represented  separately  by  relics  and  selections  that 
take  you  from  where  we  can  guess  about  our  race  as  it  once 


NATIONAL    MUSEUM,     STOCKHOLM. 


was  on  this  globe  down  to  the  latest  and  best  specimens  of 
the  mechanical  and  artistic  skill  of  man.  In  the  collection 
of  Armor  are  pistols  and  swords  that  belonged  to  Gustavus 
Adolphus.  "  Now  you  have  seen  the  most  wonderfully  his- 
toric sword  in  existence,"  remarked  a  Swedish  gentleman  to 
the  little  girl  of  our  party,  as  we  were  looking  at  one  of  the 
preat  clavmores.     "  Where  ?"     "  Wh\',  right  here  ; — right  be- 


26o  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

fore  you  !  this  sword  of  Gustavus  Adolphus ! "  "  No  ;  I  have 
not,  if  you  please."  "  You  have  not  ?  Why,  yes  you  have. 
If  not,  where  is  that  most  wonderful  sword  ? "  "I  don't  know 
where  it  is  ;  but  it  is  a  sword  that  has  a  different  name." 
"  What  name  ? "     "  The  sword  of  Bunker  Hill." 


XXI 
KING  AND  PEOPLE. 

We  were  walking  in  the  Djurgarden  a  few  days  before  we 
left  Stockholm,  in  company  with  one  of  our  Swedish  friends, 
when  the  King  and  a  portion  of  his  suite  rode  by,  on  their 
way  from  the  Castle  to  one  of  his  country  residences  in  or 
near  this  great  park.  For  be  it  known  there  are  several  royal 
residences  in  this  vicinity  ;  although  there  is  one  that  specially 
bears  that  name.  The  King,  as  we  were  credibly  informed, 
frequently  "puts  up  for  the  night,''  with  some  of  his  relatives, 
who  have  princely  mansions  and  gardens  here  and  there  in 
the  neighborhood  of  the  Capital.  And  so  we  came  to  per- 
sonal talk  about  his  majesty  :  his  character  and  his  manner 
of  life,  and  the  political  and  social  relations  which  he  bore 
to  his  subjects. 

A  Swedish  friend,  in  a  delightfully  frank  and  suave  man- 
ner, insisted  that  the  kingdom  was  really  more  of  a  republic, 
so  far  as  liberality  and  gentleness  of  Government  are  con- 
cerned, than  the  United  States  of  America  !  He  asserted 
that  the  King  had  less  power  than  our  President  ;  and  that 
if  he  should  do  many  things,  which  it  was  said  our  chief  ex- 
ecutive had  sometimes  done  with  impunity,  he  would  be 
"  ostracized  "  to  that  extent  that  it  would  be  almost  tanta- 
mount to  a  dethronement !  Of  course  all  this  was  uttered 
in  the  very  kindest  of  tones  ;  and  did  not  fail  to  meet  with 
our  answers  of  doubt  if  not  positive  protest.  Could  it  be  so  ! 
A  King  uncrowned  by  the  contempt  of  his  people,  manifested 


KING  AND  PEOPLE.  26 1 

only  in  the  way  indicated  !  Incredible,  we  ventured  to  inti- 
mate. Our  friend  persisted  :  "  It  would  be  intolerable  to  our 
Sovereign." 

Unquestionably  the  present  government  of  Sweden  is  emi- 
nently worthy  of  the  study  of  the  American  people,  and 
especially  of  those  who  in  any  large  degree  may  be  said  to 
be  representative  men  among  the  citizens  of  our  Republic. 
For  there  are  certain  points  with  respect  to  the  introduction 
and  enactment  of  laws  wherein  Swedish  people  seem  to  exer- 
cise, as  a  mass,  more  absolute  and  immediate  influence  than 
is  felt  or  recognized  from  the  same  or  like  source  with  us. 
Public  opinion  there,  when  it  can  once  be  said  to  have  been 
formed,  is  speedily  expressed  in  statute.  And  the  King  would 
never  dare  to  interpose  anything  corresponding  to  a  veto 
power  against  a  measure  of  legislation  arising  in  that  way. 
If  it  be  said  that  it  is  the  same  with  us,  I  recall  the  messages 
of  some  of  our  Presidents  ;  which  certainly  were  in  the  face 
of  the  well-weighed  and  just  desire  of  the  vast  majority  of 
the  people  of  the  United  States, — founded  upon  sufficient 
and  honest  reflection  ;  I  am  reminded  of  vetos  which  were 
issued  at  the  dictation  of  the  Monopolists  and  amid  the 
applause  of  the  corrupt  and  corrupting  agents  and  lobbyists 
at  Washington. 

Curiously  enough,  our  friend  went  on  to  make  another 
boast  in  behalf  of  his  Sovereign,  in  comparison  with  our  most 
distinguished  General  (for  whom,  as  I  write,  the  sympathies 
of  our  people  are  profoundly  exercised,  on  account  of  recent 
and  dangerous  illness).  And  on  this  he  laid  a  stress  that  at 
the  moment  seemed  to  me  to  almost  impeach  his  intelligence. 
"  Why,"  said  he,  "our  king  has  a  splendid  physical  presence  ; 
and  what  is  more,  he  has  a  great  big  voice  !  "  This  he  said 
with  a  rising  inflection  that  reached  the  stentorian.  "I  was 
at  your  Centennial  at  Philadelphia,  when  the  President  de- 
livered the  opening  speech.  I  stood  next  to  some  of  the 
sailors  of  your  Navy,  who  were  ranged  immediately  in  front 
of  the  platform  ;  and  several  of  them  cried  out  at  the  time  : 
'O,  go  back  to  Washington,  Father  Grant,  and  take  lessons 
in  Elocution  ! '  Now,  if  our  King  had  been  there,  they  would 
have  heard  him  at  a  distance  of  full  a  quarter  of  a  mile?' 


262  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

We  could  not  help  but  ask  our  friend  if  he  was  sure  that  our 
sailor  boys  used  the  word  "  Elocution  ?  "  On  his  replying  in 
the  affirmative,  we  began  to  dwell  upon  the  degree  of  intelli- 
gence and  the  advance  in  education  which  our  people  pos- 
sessed over  the  majority  of  subjects  in  his  kingdom  ! 

I  should  like  to  see  the  Blue  Book  that  would  tell  us  how 
many  uncles  and  aunts  and  cousins  and  grand-aunts — and 
relatives  still  more  distant — are  under  liberal  pension  frofti 
the  Swedish  government.  Turn  where  you  may,  and  you 
will  find  some  large  establishment  occupied  by  royal  rela- 
tives, more  or  less  distant  from  the  throne.  While  the  poor 
soldier  receives  a  pension  of  about  three  dollars  and  seventy- 
five  cents  a  year,  some  great-aunt  of  the  reigning  monarch  is 
"provided  for" — as  the  saying  there  is — by  being  given  pos- 
session of  a  three-storied  house,  with  thirty  or  forty  rooms, 
with  a  retinue  of  servants,  and  a  rent-roll  of  acreage  in  due 
proportion.  It  is  not  that  there  is  anything  absolutely  unjust 
in  making  a  provision  for  these  good,  ancient  people  ;  but  it 
is  that  they  have  a  superfluity  ;  while  the  trooper  who  has 
been  worn  out  in  the  service  of  his  Majesty  is  left  to  starve 
in  a  hovel. 

From  every  hill  top  in  and  about  Stockholm,  the  view  is 
beautiful.  Of  course,  almost  everyone  who  comes  here  and 
writes  a  letter  hence,  must  needs  dwell  upon  these  sights  ; 
and  for  that,  if  for  no  other  reason,  I  should  hesitate  and  de- 
cline to  give  my  description  in  these  premises.  I  mention 
this  conceded  fact — of  city  and  landscape  charm — as  an   in-  » 

troduction  to  my  confession  that  at  no  point  here  have  I  had  I 
greater  enjoyment,  drawn  merely  from  the  vision,  than  when  [| 
standing  on  the  Norrbro,  in  front  of  the  Castle,  and  looking 
down  upon  that  other  bridge, — a  comparatively  recent  con- 
struction,— immediately  to  the  east  of  the  railroad  crossing. 
It  seemed  to  me  as  if  I  could  not  sufficiently  feast  upon  the 
picture  which  those  graceful  arches  presented.  It  is  the  sec- 
ond bridge  from  the  Lake,  depicted  in  the  accompanying 
engraving,  and  is  called  the  Wasa.  I  have  repeatedly  looked 
in  volumes  of  engravings,  with  the  purpose  of  comparing  this 
structure  with  similar  biidges  in  other  parts  of  the  world, 
which  have  received  the  eulogies  of  such  men  as  Ruskin, 


KING  AND  PEOPLE.  263 

Bayard  Taylor  and  W.  D.  Howells.  But  however  you  may 
otherwise  compare  or  contrast  Stockhoh-n  with  Venice,  etc. 
I  put  this  one  structure  as  of  its  kind  a  challenge  against  the 
world.  I  took  my  original  liking  and  love  for  it,  the  moment 
I  set  eyes  U])on  it.  Afterwards  when  I  drew  the  attention  of 
friends,  who  had  often  passed  by  a  good  point  of  observation 
without  making  an  admiring  note  of  it  (as  we  all  will  do), 
they  agreed  with  me.  And  to  this  object  more  than  to  any 
other  on  the  lower  plane  surface  of  this  city,  I  direct  the  at- 
tention of  my  friends,  v/hen  they  shall  make  their  Summer 
tour  in  this  Northern  land.  To  be  sure,  they  will  visit  Mose- 
back  and  Hasselbacken  and  some  if  not  all  the  promontory 
towers  of  the  King — one  rising  on  the  cliff  by  the  side  of  his 
skating  reservation  and  others  in  the  Djurgarden  the  Kas- 
tellholm  and  Ladgarden-lander  ;  but  it  becomes  me  to  charge 
it  upon  them  not  to  forget  this  minor  spectacle.  For  as  you 
stand  on  the  upper  granite  crossing,  an'd  look  at  this  new 
structure,  letting  your  eye  glance  slowly  from  one  bank  to 
the  other,  you  will  seem  to  witness  the  actual  process  of  the 
building.  These  arches  do  appear  to  leap  over  the  svyiftly 
running  water  that  ripples  beneath  them.  And  there  is  al- 
together an  indescribable  beauty  and  fascination  in  their 
lines.     The  poetry  of  spanning  architecture  is  here. 

I  have  already  spoken  of  the  characteristically  conscien- 
tious workmanship  of  the  Swedish  people.  Of  course  there 
must  be  many  unskillful  and  negligent  and  unfaithful  work- 
men in  the  ranks  of  their  mechanics.  There  are  probably  a 
large  number  of  tradespeople  who  consciously  do  not  always 
speak  the  exact  truth,  when  "  driving  a  sale."  This  is  only 
going  on  the  general  average  of  humanity  as  it  is  to  be  taken 
and  accepted,  or  expected,  everywhere,  and  at  its  best.  But 
whether  owing  to  our  good  fortune  or  not,  we  have  to  say 
that  in  Sweden,  as  a  rule,  that  has  been  rarely  broken,  the 
law  of  honesty  has  been  scrupulously  kept  in  our  sight. 
When  a  Swedish  merchant  has  told  us  that  a  certain  article 
was  the  best  of  its  kind,  we  have  often  had  occasion  by  in- 
quiry, or  by  accident  if  you  please,  to  verify  his  statement.  I 
could  enumerate  many  manufactured  goods  which  are  pro- 
verbially of  the  finest  workmanship  ;  bearing  that  character 


264  A'OIiTIIEIi.V  EUROPE. 

with  the  Swedish  name,  perhaps,  in  every  other  civiUzed  na- 
tion of  the  earth.  The  Swedish  razor,  and  cutlery  of  all 
descriptions,  when  said  by  a  Stockholm  dealer  to  be  of  the 
most  excellent  quality  may  be  confidentally  taken  as  such. 
And  in  the  market  of  perishable  goods  we  have  never  been 
imposed  upon.  When  we  have  asked  the  old  lady  as  to  the 
quality  or  freshness  of  her  vegetables  or  fruit,  we  have  in- 
variably met  with  a  candid  and  truthful  reply.  Not  infre- 
quently have  we  been  told  "  the  goose-berries  are  not  very 
good  this  morning  ;  "  that  they  were  a  day  stale  in  the  stall, 
that  they  had  had  a  long  ride  from  the  lower  end  of  the  lake, 
and  so  forth,  and  so  forth.  Of  course  this  would  be  followed 
by  a  statement  as  to  the  reduction  of  the  price  on  account  of 
the  inferiority,  as  measured  from  the  standard  of  perfection 
or  the  line  of  the  best. 

Stepping  into  the  fancy  dry  goods  store  of  Froken  Hult- 
gren  on  Drottning-Gatan  we  inquired  as  to  the  price  of  a 
piece  of  ribbon  for  a  little  girl's  hair  ;  and  when  we  had  made 
the  purchase  we  remarked  that  the  cost  to  us  was  about 
twenty-five  per  cent,  more  than  would  be  asked  for  a  similar 
article  in  London.  The  reply  was  quickly  made,  and  was 
noticeable  :  "  It  is  nearly  thirty  per  cent,  as  much  more. 
But  if  you  will  allow  us  to  tell  you  how  much  it  costs  us  to 
get  the  goods  here  from  France — inclusive  of  the  cost  of 
making  a  selection — and  how  much  it  detracts  from  the  value 
of  a  bolt  of  ribbon  to  take  off  a  piece  like  that,  you  will  be 
satisfied  that  the  additional  charge  is  not  unreasonable." 
This  may  seem  a  very  small  matter  of  illustration,  as  indeed 
it  is  ;  but  it  was  of  its  kind  one  of  those  things  that  first  sur- 
prised us.  We  have  had  heretofore  so  much  sympathy  ex- 
cited in  us  for  those  people  who  are  often  "  selling  out  below 
cost" — and  have  found  that  commiseration  so  often  mis- 
placed, that — well,  let  it  be  understood  that  we  were  aston- 
ished by  this  acknowledgement  of  the  regular  and  proper 
average  mercantile  profit.  There  seems  to  be  a  single  dis- 
position and  habit  of  perfect  truthfulness  among  these  small 
tradespeople  of  Stockholm. 

A  few  nights  ago  we  went  into  a  store  to  inquire  the  price 
of  a  doll  dressed  in  one  of  the  Delecarlian  costumes.     The 


KING  AND  PEOPLE. 


265 


sum  asked  fairly  shocked  us  on  account  of  its  largeness  ; 
and  there  was  an  exclamation  by  one  of  the  party  indicating 
this  feeling.  Whereupon  the  young  lady  in  charge  drew  a 
pencil  from  one  of  the  drawers  and  leaning  over  on  the 
counter  proposed  to  set  down  the  exact  sum  paid  by  her  em- 
ployer for  each  and  every  portion  of  the  mannikin,  and  the 
dress  which  lay  before  us.  And  she  was  vexed  when  we  pro- 
tested that  it  was  not  necessary  ;  that  we  would  accept  her 
account  of  what  the  whole  structure  cost  without  going  into 
details.  She  wanted  to  give  us  item  for  item  and  have  us 
institute  a  regular    committee  of  investigation    to   find   out 


GUSTAF  ADOLPH  SQUARE,    STOCKHOLM. 

whether  it  was  so  or  not.     Taking  her  figures  the  percentage 
of  profit  was  very  reasonable. 

We  have  sometimes — not  often — had  occasion  to  hire  a 
carriage  in  Stockholm.  The  terms  have  been  two  kroners 
or  fifty-twocents  an  hour  or  three  kroners  for  two  hours  and 
the  reckoning  has  been  scrupulously  accurate.  Nor  have 
we  ever  seen  our  driver  go  out  of  his  way  to  "make  time," 
or  purposely  lag  behind,  that  he  might  bring  in  an  additional 
charge.  A  precise  contrast  with  London  experience.  And 
as  for  the  porters  on  the  street,— who  must  never  be  con- 
founded with  i\-iQ porticr?,  at  the  gates  or  stairs-landing  office 


2  6  6  ^"Oli  THERN  E  UROPE. 

of  the  hotels, — (a  large  number  often  assembling  at  the  Hotel 
Ryder,  corner  of  Gustaf  Adolph  Square) — they  look  to  be  as 
they  are,  embodiments  of  honest  faith.  You  ask  for  a  direc- 
tion, and  they  will  stand  and  give  it  to  you  by  pointing,  with- 
out appearing  to  expect  a  kroner  in  return.  You  must  needs 
tell  them  that  you  wish  to  have  them  accompany  you,  if  you 
want  one  of  them  to  be  your  companion  and  guide.  Nor  is 
this  owing  to  anything  in  the  nature  of  stupidity  or  laziness. 

With  respect  to  the  service  which  is  rendered  in  the  public 
houses  to  the  strangers,  whether  by  the  girls  from  Delecarlia, 
who  come  down  to  the  capital  for  the  Summer  season, — or  by 
the  regular  attendants,  it  is  most  excellent  in  its  promptness 
and  sufficiency.  There  is  no  obsequiousness  about  it ;  such 
as  you  sometimes  meet  with  elsewhere  ;  there  is  no  parade  of 
activity, — nothing  like  that  which  we  Yankees  call  "  fussi- 
ness  ; " — but  there  is  a  quick  answer  to  a  summons,  a  patient 
and  careful  listening  to  a  request  or  order,  and  an  immediate 
obedience, — accurate  and  ample. 

No  wonder  these  Swedish  girls  are  at  a  premium  in  New 
York  City,  When  at  Castle  Garden,  recently,  we  were  told  by 
the  matron  in  charge  that  there  were  a  dozen  demands  where 
there  could  be  one  supplied  from  the  immigrant  list  of  Swedish 
cooks  or  chambermaids. 

It  being  necessary  to  have  the  services  of  a  shoemaker,  we 
stepped  into  the  shop  of  the  one  located  nearest  to  our  hotel. 
Into  a  hall-way  and  into  a  handsomely  furnished  parlor — like  a 
private  dwelling  in  all  outward  respects — save  for  the  sign  over 
the  window — went  we  in  search  of  the  Knight  of  St.  Crispin.  I 
don't  know  exactly  how  it  came  about,  but  we  were  using  this 
very  noble  designation,  when  the  door  leading  from  the  rear 
of  the  front  room  opened  and  barely  afforded  space  to  admit 
the  master  of  the  establishment.  A  giant  in  stature — not  less 
than  six  feet,  six  inches  in  height ;  but  having  a  most  benignant 
countenance  ;  with  great  lustrous  eyes,  that  used  to  glow  with 
an  unmistakable  warmth  of  good  nature.  It  seemed,  despite 
his  obvious,  remarkable  pleasantness  of  disposition,  as  though 
we  could  not  bring  our  courage  up  to  the  sticking  point  of  ask- 
ing such  a  powerful  and  distinguished  looking  person  if  he 
would  be  kind  enough  to  straighten  a  heel  and  under-tap  a  toe? 


KING  AND  PEOPLE.  267 

But  it  had  to  be  said  ;  and  with  a  voice  as  gentle  as  a  dove,  he 
to-be-sured  us  until  we  were  impressed  with  his  kind  cor.descen- 
sion  to  that  degree  that  our  sense  of  gratitude  was  painful. 

On  one  side  of  his  ante-room  hung  a  life-size  picture  of  the 
late  King,  and  on  the  other  a  portrait  of  equal  dimensions  of 
his  Queen  Consort ;  and  we  naturally  diversified  our  conversa- 
tion by  reference  to  the  sovereigns  that  are  and  that  were.  Tlien 
it  transpired  that  we  were  addressing  the  "  Royal  Bootmaker." 
Ah  !  we  should  never  have  thought  of  going  into  such  an  au- 
gust presence  with  our  little  patch-work  requisition  !  And  giv- 
ing some  audible  form  to  this  sincere  reflection,  we  had  a  good 
hearty  laugh  with  His  Majesty's  skillful  servant  ;  and  this  com- 
munion without  sycophancy  and  in  all  jollity  !  may  be  said  to 
have  been  worth  the  price  of  the  cobbling.  A  Jolly  Giant  in- 
deed is  this  monstrous  Sir  Knight  of  the  lap-stone. 

Then  comes  familiar  talk  about  matters  and  things  in  general. 
And  finally  it  is  mentioned  that  we  hail  from  the  Golden  Gate 
State  of  America.  "  What,  California.?  Calif arnial  Cali- 
fornia ! "  And  immediately  the  Court  shoemaker's  wife  is 
called  into  the  room.  "Here!  here!  These  i>ersons  are  from 
California  !  "  And  such  a  pleasant,  hearty  greeting  as  we  then 
and  thereupon  received!  "Why,  we  have  a  relative  there,^ 
married  to  a  jeweller  named   Engrist.      Do  you  know  her } " 

We  had  the  same  experience  at  this  shop  as  to  faithtul  work- 
manship and  candid  statement  as  to  the  liberal  but  reasonable 
margin  of  gains  to  the  workman  on  the  labor  profit. 

A  few  evenings  before  our  final  departure  from  Stockholm,  we 
took  a  walk  around  the  Northern  portion  of  the  city  and  noticed 
the  laboring  people  as  they  were  leaving  their  places  of  emp'oy- 
ment.  Two  women  who  were  cleaning  the  hods  and  covering 
the  mortar  beds  in  the  vicinity  of  a  building  in  course'  of  con- 
struction, were  saluted  by  us,  and  put  under  catechism.  They 
made  the  mortar  and  they  carried  the  hods.  They  were  born 
at  Stockholm  ;  accustomed  to  rough  labor  all  their  lives  ;  and 
for  the  last  ten  or  fifteen  years  they  had  been  at  work  during 
the  Summer  seasons  as  helpers  for  the  masons.  They  received 
eighty  ore  a  day — about  twenty  cents — and  were  assured  of 
steady  employment  during  the  warm  season  at  these  wages.  In 
response  to  our  questions  they  said  with  a  laugh — yes,  with  a 


268  -"^"OR  THERN  E  UROPE. 

laugh — that  they  beHeved  they  could  do  as  much  work  of  the 
kind  of  labor  to  which  we  have  referred  as  any  man  ;  but  they 
hastened  to  add  tliat  a  man  in  similar  employment  would  get 
twice  as  much  in  wages.  Their  hands  were  very  hard  and 
coarse,  as  you  might  well  expect,  but  they  were  small,  and  had 
yet  a  feminine  beauty  about  them. 

One  was  a  widow  and  one  was  a  spinster  ;  and  they  lived  in 
a  garret  ]  oom,  six  feet  by  eight  feet  in  surface  measuremeut, 
with  a  sloping  ceiling  that  ran  from  four  feet  to  eight  feet  in 
height.  This  last  item  we  obtained  by  giving  them  a  small 
sum  and  accompanying  them  to  their  habitation  ;  a  lady  in  our 
party  going  into  their  room  with  them,  and  carefully  noting  the 
area  in  which  they  had  their  home. 

We  sat  down  in  the  little  yard  that  surrounds  Clara-K}Tka  ; 
and  as  one  of  the  women  that  was  engaged  at  a  public  wash- 
house  approached,  we  bade  her  good  evening,  and  questioned 
her.  She  was  a  widowed  mother,  with  two  little  children.  She 
was  thirty-five  years  of  age,  and  her  eldest  child  was  not  3-et  five. 
She  earned  twenty-six  cents  a  day.  She  was  an  expert  in 
cleansing  linen.  She  got  twice  as  much  wages  as  many  in  the 
same  establishment  who  worked  during  the  same  long  twelve 
hours.  Her  hands  were  "a  sight  to  see."  As  we  held  one  of 
them,  we  thought  that  it  felt  like  a  little  bundle  of  cold  lifeless 
bones  ;  and  it  certainly  looked  to  be  just  that.  Here  was  an 
illustration  of  the  familiar  saying  of  working  oflf  one's  fingers' 
ends.  Literally,  her  nails  were  scrubbed  from  her  finger  tips. 
When  some  one  in  our  company  gave  her  a  little  silver  money, 
she  sank  down  on  her  knees  and  thanked  God  for  the  benefac- 
tion. 

While  in  this  church-yard  we  saw  four  men  come  rapidly 
through,  the  North  gate,  bearing  a  box  covered  with  a  pall.  It 
was  a  corpse,  which  they  laid  on  a  bench  in  one  of  the  low 
houses — like  our  country  meeting  house  sheds,  with  perforated 
doors  prefixed,  with  which  the  Southern  end  of  the  yard  is  bor- 
dered. The  funeral  will  take  place  in  two  days.  Meanwhile  the 
remains  rest  in  this  church-yard  vault ;  in  which,  at  this  time, 
there  were  no  less  than  five  bodies  awaiting  interment. 

Of  course  it  is  claimed  that  there  is  a  free  press  in  Sweden,  and 
especiallj^  in  Stockholm.     It  is  so  called ;  and  in  many  respects 


KING  AXD  FEOFLE. 


26g 


< 
O 

o 
n 

o 
f 


1) 
o 

> 


1^ 


'i  ilM  1^;'::;;  :;;:r  l^aif        / 


mmm  im^/\ 


% 


i 


i; '. 


1  ; 


lilii1;;!U':!;:::!i:^ut 


270 


NORTHERN   EUROBE. 


it  is  eminently  entitled  to  that  name.  And  yet  there  is  a  species 
of  ccns  irship  which  we  would  cr}'  out  against  very  severely  if 
we  believed  it  existed  in  America  ;  although  there  is  with  us 
an  espionage  and  a  tyranny  from  a  different  source,  which  is 
quite  as  reprehensible, — quite  as  much  to  be  deplored.  If  you 
wish  to  criticize  any  of  the  officers  of  the  Royal  household,  or 
any  of  the  Commanders  of  His  Majesty's  army  or  navy,  or  any 
of  the  Superintendents  of  His  Majesty's  estates,  you  must  do  it 
in  a  very  round-about,  gingerly  manner,  or  the  communication 
will  not  be  accepted.  But  precisely  by  this  indirect  method,  by 
the  "  damnable  inuendo,"  there  is  much  of  censuring  comment 
upon  public  men  and  upon  public  affairs  that  are  immediately 
connected  with  the  Royal  household.  I  had  several  illustrations 
of  this.  One  in  particular  was  in  reference  to  an  alleged  false 
weight  that  was  maintained  by  one  of  His  IMajesty's  officers  at 
the  Superintendent's  yard,  at  Stromsholm,  in  tne  midst  of  a 
large  government  iarm.  The  newspaper  of  the  neighborhood 
would  not  call  the  offender  or  the  offence  by  name.  But  in  a 
round-about  way  the  grievance  was  complained  of  through  the 
Press,  and  forthwith  there  was  a  sharp  attempt  to  ascertain  the 
name  of  the  writer.  But  the  identity  of  the  correspondent  was 
successfully  concealed,  and  for  the  unjust  balance  an  honest 
set  of  scales  was  soon  substituted. 

With  reference  to  a  division  of  the  people  of  Sweden  into 
political  parties  ;  the  lines  seem  to  be  somewhat  vague.  But 
there  is  certainly  a  party  of  the  Town,  or,  as  it  is  sometimes 
called,  a  party  of  the  Nobility — because  the  Nobility  as  a 
rule  belong  to  it — and  a  party  of  the  Country.  But  many 
eminent  men  in  the  cities  sympathize  with  and  are  allied  to 
the  party  of  the  Country.  The  party  of  the  Country  insist, — 
as  I  think  I  have  before  intimated — that  the  farmers  shall  no 
longer  be  compelled  to  provide  in  their  several  districts,  for 
the  household  of  the  soldiers  that  are  enlisted  or  drafted  into 
His  Majesty's  army.  And  generally  the  party  of  the  Country 
is  the  Liberal  party, — though  there  are  no  sharp  terms  of  dis- 
tinction such  as  mark  the  boundaries  between  our  political 


organizations. 


The  Capitol   or  Riksdagshuset, — the   front   of  which,    as 
elsewhere  noted,  can  be  seen  depicted  on  the  left  of  the  en- 


I 


KING  AND  PEOPLE.  27 1 

graving  in  this  volume  that  prominently  presents  Riddarholm 
Church — is  a  very  plain  five-story  building.  We  were  told 
by  the  janitor  or  sexton  at  the  Ridderholm  that  it  was  im- 
possible for  us  at  this  Season  of  the  year  to  obtain  a  look  at 
the  Chambers  of  the  two  Houses  ;  that  visitors  were  never 
admitted  except  during  Legislative  Season  time  ;  that  a  re- 
quest for  such  admission  was  never  heard  of  before,  etc. 
But  we  marched  through  one  of  the  open  doorways  of  the 
edifice  and  up  one  flight  of  stairs,  past  a  telegraph  office,  and 
into  a  room  where  a  woman  and  child  were  sitting,  both  en- 
gaged in  needle-work.  We  asked  for  the  janitor  or  custodian. 
We  learned  that  he  was  the  husband  of  one  and  the  father  of 
the  other  of  the  two  persons  before  us  ;  and  within  five  min- 
utes we  were  introduced  to  him  and  on  our  way  to  the  Halls 
of  Legislation  !  How  came  this  about  ?  When  we  first  made 
our  request,  the  reply  was  "  Impossible  !  "  But  when  the 
janitor  appeared  and  we  informed  all  persons  present  that 
we  were  from  California,  and  that  we  had  a  special  reason, 
which  we  named,  for  observing  how  the  Legislators  were 
grouped  together  before  their  presiding  officer,  the  inner 
doors  were  opened.  Again  the  same  refrain  :  now  something 
of  regular  expectation.  "  O,  from  California  ;  O  !  O  !  that 
is  another  matter." 

The  Members  sit  upon  narrow  benches  that  are  ranged  in 
close  proximity, — iu  fact  you  might  say  that  they  were  crowd- 
ed together.  There  is  less  room,  I  should  judge,  than  is 
usually  afforded  for  such  proportion  of  the  Members  as  can 
or  do  sit  on  the  benches  of  the  English  House  of  Commons, 
— taking  into  consideration  the  average  size  of  the  Swedish 
legislator.  We  were  told  that  there  was  frequent  complaint 
because  of  the  lack  of  those  facilities  which  our  Representa- 
tives in  our  several  State  Legislatures  and  in  our  Capitol  at 
Washington  enjoy.  But  it  would  be  impossible  in  these 
Capitol  halls  to  put  the  130  members  of  the  one  House  and 
the  200  members  of  the  other,  and  give  them  desk-room. 

The  benches  are  placed  on  a  rising  floor  or  a  series  of  steps, 
having  about  the  same  ratio  of  elevation — from  step  to  step — 
that  is  given  in  the  orchestra  portion  of  the  California  theatre 


2^2  ^'OR  THERN  E  UROPE. 

— almost  as  steep  as  in  a  Medical  College  demonstration  or 
clinique  hall. 

At  the  Castle  there  is  a  room  in  which  the  Members  of  both 
houses  assemble  to  meet  and  consult  with  the  King.  There 
the  benches  are  of  similar  pattern, — the  Lower  House  sitting 
upon  one  side  of  the  single  and  central  aisle,  and  the  mem- 
bers of  the  other  House  occupying  the  opposite  series  of 
seats. 

At  the  Capitol  as  well  as  at  the  Palace  Council  Chamber, 
where  King  and  Legislators  officially  face  other,  in  the  Sum- 
mer season,  all  is  in  dust  and  disorder.  The  benches  in  both 
Houses  are  made  of  pine,  and  are  of  the  flimsiest  construction. 
They  are  covered  with  a  close  baize  cloth,  with  a  little  green 
fringe  around  the  edges. 

Adjacent  to  the  Chambers  or  Halls  of  Legislation  in  the 
Capitol  are  sitting-rooms  for  the  Committees,  and  long  cor- 
ridor apartments  where  the  Legislator  may  promenade  or 
may  sit  down  and  refresh  himself  at  wine  and  card  tables. 
Our  guide — none  other  than  the  head  janitor  himself — told 
us  that,  on  many  occasions  he  had  to  provide  for  the  rernoval 
of  some  noble  Legislator  early  in  the  morning,  by  hiring  a 
couple  of  stout  porters  to  carry  his  lordship  down  the  stairs 
and  place  him  in  a  carriage. 

The  view  from  some  of  the  windows  of  the  Capitol,  look- 
ing out  upon  portions  of  the  city  and  the  Malar,  is  almost 
equal  in  splendor  to  that  obtained  from  the  top  of  Moseback 
itself. 

The  appointed  Members  of  the  upper  chamber  of  the 
Swedish  'Parliament  [must  be  over  thirty-five  years  of  age  ; 
must  pay  taxes  on  $20,000,  and  have  an  annual  income  of 
not  less  than  $1,200.  Their  term  is  nine  years  ;  and  there  is 
no  salary  attached  to  their  office.  The  members  of  the 
Lower  House  are  elected  every  three  years  Irom  the  differ- 
ent districts  without  regard  to  property  ownership,  and  are 
paid  about  $3. 00  per  day. 

That  was  a  sad  night  for  us,  when  we  parted  with  Herr 
Meyerberg,  at  the  Hotel  Kung  Karl.  We  invited  him  to  a 
little  sexsor,  which  we  ordered  spread  in  one  of  our  rooms  ; 
and  when  he  came  we  all  remarked  with  less  emphasis  than 


KING  AND  PEOPLE.  273 

was  really  justified,  that  he  looked  exceedingly  well.  Indeed, 
what  a  splendid-looking  man  he  is  !  No  wonder_  that  his 
Philadelphia  and  Baltimore  audiences  were  so  delighted  to 
see  him  and  hear  him  talk,  that  they  made  unreasonable  de- 
mands upon  even  his  strength  for  protracted  utterance.  No 
wonder  that  we  often  heard  strangers  inquire  as  he  passed  by, 
"  What  Nobleman  is  that  ?  " 

Sure  enough  the  days  are  growing  shorter  ;  for  we  have 
candles  brought  in  just  before  the  School  Inspector  arrives. 
And  a  little  girl  in  the  company  says  that  the  table  must  look 
very  bright  this  evening  :  for  it  is  "  A  Fareweel  to  our  bestest 
friend  in  Stockholm." 

He  brings  Wellin's  Poems, — producing  the  large  volume 
from  under  his  arm  as  he  enters  the  supper  room,  and  in  his 
own  grand  way  he  reads  the  apostrophe  to  George  Washing- 
ton !  It  is  a  reading  such  as  Longfellow  long  ago  interpreted 
for  us,  "  Not  from  the  grand  old  Masters,  not  from  the  bards 
sublime  *  *  *  But  from  some  humbler  poet."  And  we 
have  the  glorious  "music  of  his  voice."  He  must  needs  rise 
from  the  table,  when  he  comes  to  the  final  comparison  and 
appeal.  He  has  the  last  verse  by  heart  ;  and  the  conclusion 
is  a  thrilling  recitation.  His  declamation  is  for  such  an  oc- 
casion the  perfection  of  art.  What  could  be  finer  in  touch 
of  intonation,  or  more  delightful,  appropriate  and  impressive 
than  the  waving  gesture  with  which  he  signifies  the  amplitude 
of  the  glory  that  belongs  to  the  name  of  our  great  heroes  and 
patriots  !  Wasa  and  Washington  !  It  was  oratory  and  it  was 
song  ! 

Farewell,  dear  friend  !  We  would  not  speak  this  word  to 
you  on  that  night  of  supreme  felicity  in  companionship — 
when  most  we  enjoyed  your  society.  We  kept  the  fact  of  in- 
tended departure  and  such  mournful  reflections  as  were  begotten 
of  it  carefully  locked  in  our  aching  breasts.  We  can  be  paitly, 
nay,  largely  satisfied  and  consoled  by  the  pictures  of  the  beauti- 
ful city  that  we  shall  take  with  us  to  America,  but — as  with 
respect  to  a  few  scenes  in  nature,  on  our  journeyings — we  do 
not  now  personally  regret  that  he  refused  to  give  us  his  photo- 
graph. Our  memories  shall  hold  that  best ;  and  let  not  recol- 
lection be  disturbed  or  anywise  distracted  by  the  picture  of  his 


274 


NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


face.  Alas  !  How  imperfectly,  with  much  larger  opportunity 
or  indulgence,  could  I  hint  as  to  the  extent  of  our  obligations 
to  you.  How  many  have  been  your  thoughtful  kindnesses. 
How  excellent  has  been  your  guidance,  conversation  and  coun- 
sel on  every  possible  occasion  for  your  hospitable  attendance. 
Fortunate,  indeed,  have  we  been  in  forming  your  acquaintance, 
and  gaining  an  access  of  intimacy  to  your  sympathies  and  good- 
will. Fortunate  will  we  name  and  number  those  who  may  come 
after  us,  to  sojourn  a  little  while  in  this  kingdom,  if  they  shall 
have  your  greeting  and  your  good  offices  of  friendship  and 
esteem. 


-o- 


xxn. 

FROM  STOCKHOLM  TO  MALMO. 

The  sum  total  of  fares,  from  place  to  place  on  this  route, 
amounts  to  very  little  over  the  cost  of  a  continuous-trip  passage. 
The  Government  does  not  make  a  practice  of  issuing  stop-over 
tickets. 

The  distance  from  Stockholm  to-Malmo,  by  Nassjo,  is  383  of 
our  miles.  The  express  train  makes  the  through  trip  in  18^ 
hours.  The  ordinary  train  as  it  is  called,  stops  over  night  at 
Nassjo,  which  is  about  half  way  between  the  Capital  and  the 
Southern  city  of  Sweden.  The  charges  are  respectively  for  first, 
second  or  third-class  fares  on  the  ordinary  train,  52  kroners, 
33  kroners,  and  22  kroners.  On  the  express  there  are  two  clas- 
ses,— the  first  and  the  second  :  for  which  the  ticket  price  is  52 
kroners  and  37  kroners.  The  second  class  accommodations  are 
fully  as  comfortable  as  the  first  class  cars  on  our  Central  Pa- 
cific; although  there  is  not  so  much  gilding  and  the  cushions 
are  of  a  brown,  instead  of  a  crimson  color.  There  is  really  not 
a  great  deal  of  difi"erence  between  the  second  and  first  class 
compartments.  The  great  majority  of  Europeans  travel  in  the 
third  class  compartments;  even  on  the  few  roads  where  the 


FROM  STOCKHOLM  TO  MALMO. 


275 


seats  are  uncushioned,  but  where  the  conveniences  and  comforts 
otherwise  are  equal  to  our  best. 

The  first  town  of  importance  through  which  you  pass  after 
leaving  the  Capital,  on  the  road  indicated,  is  Sodertelge  ;  a 
watering  place  of  which  I  made  mention  in  describing  the  canal 
route  from  Gottenberg  to  Stockholm.  The  road  passes  in  the 
rear  of  the  principal  town  or  city,  and  you  have  in  part  the  same 
views  of  the  place  which  are  afforded  from  the  canal,  and  also 


NORRKOPIXG  PUBLIC  SCHOOL. 

entirely  different  pictures  of  the  town  itself,  and  of  the  surround- 
ing country.  The  city  proper  is  bustling  and  thriving,  while 
the  "watering  place"  adjacent,  with  its  great  hotels  for  invalids, 
is  a  picture  of  quiei  repose. 

The  next  town  of  importance,  is  Norrkoping.  This  is  a  sea- 
port city— close  enough  to  the  Baltic  to  be  so  called, — of  30,000 
inhabitants.     It  is  located  at  the  mouth  of  the  Motala,  at  its  con- 


.-:  76  NOR  THERN  E  UROPE. 

fluencc  with  the  Bravik  ;  and  is  very  handsomely  situated.  It 
claims  an  origin  dating  back  five  hundred  years  :  havmg  had 
the  honor  to  be  sacked  and  plundered  several  times,  by  the 
Danes  and  the  Russians.  It  is  a  modern  looking  town  ;  many 
of  the  houses  giving  evidence  of  having  been  constructed  by  or 
under  the  direction  of  an  Architect  who  had  studied  our  Ameri- 
can styles  1  The  grammar  and  commercial  school — {Hoi^re 
Elementarlaroverkcts-Hus)  —  is  a  splendid  edifice;  —  the  first 
structuie  to  which  the  local  guides  are  accustomed  to  conduct 
an  American. 

There  is  an  enormous  water  power  here,  which  is  afforded  by 
the  Motala  ;  and  the  advantages  of  Norrkoping's  location  for 
manufacturing  purposes  could  not  well  be  surpassed.  In  this 
respect  it  is  another  Lowell.  Here  are  a  number  of  iron  bridges 
which  are  well  worth  an  examination.  Indeed  it  is  claimed  tliat 
the  origin  of  iron  and  steel  bridge  construction  as  a  separate  and 
distinct  business, — as  something  of  speciality  manufacture, — 
should  be  credited  to  the  foundry-men  of  this  town. 

There  are  not  only  a  large  number  of  iron  foundries  and  steel 
making  furnaces  here,  but  several  factories  for  the  weaving  of 
woolen  and  cotton  goods.  And  at  the  door  of  two  or  three  of 
these  establishments,  we  were  proudly  informed  of  the  fact  that 
Norrkoping  was  distinguished  abroad  by  bearing  the  name  of 
the  "Swedish  Manchester."  When  we  suggested  that  the  more 
appropriate  phrase,  considering  the  tide  of  emigration,  etc., 
would  be  the  "Swedish  Lowell,"  the  inquiry  was  earnest  as  to 
the  reason  for  this  remark.  And  I  was  afterwards  assured  that 
the  substitution  suggested  should  be  made  and  observed  in  all 
future  communications  from  our  guide — to  strangers  coming 
from  America. 

Then  comes  Linkoping,  the  capital  of  Ostergotland.  This 
is  a  city  of  about  ten  thousand  inhabitants.  It  is  connected  with 
the  Gota  Canal  by  the  river  Stanga,  which  has  been  dredged  out 
recently  and  coffer-dammed,  so  as  to  be  navigable  for  large  boats. 
The  water  passage  for  its  commerce  is  made  via  Lake  Roxen, 
of  which  I  have  hereinbefore  given  a  description. 

This  is  a  cathedral  town,  and  boasted  of  a  Bishop  as  early  as 
the  1 2th  Century.  There  are  a  great  many  interesting  historic 
"memories"  connected  with  or  located  in  this  place,  including 


I 


FROM  STOCKHOLM  TO  MALMO. 


277 


LINKOPING  CATHEDRAL. 


278  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

the  "Linkoping  Blood  Bath,"  where  Sigismund  and  some  of  his 
principal  followers  were  executed  by  Duke  Charles, — nearly  three 
hundred  years  ago.  The  spot  where  the  execution  took  place  is 
now  surrounded  by  a  circle  of  stones. 

The  cathedral  church,  the  construction  of  which  was  begun 
in  1 1 50,  and  completed  in  1499,  '^  of  the  Romanesque  pattern, 
with  an  elegant  choir,  in  pure  Gothic.  In  the  choir  the  win- 
dows are  of  stained  glass  and  are  of  exquisite  beauty.  Above 
the  altar  is  an  immense  figure  of  Christ,  with  Faith,  Hope,  and 
Charity  represented  on  three  sides. 

Nassjo,  where  the  ordinary  train  stops  over  night,  is  at  the 
highest  point  on  the  railway  between  the  Capital  and  Malmo. 
Though  it  is  very  eligibly  and  handsomely  situated  on  the  bor- 
ders of  a  litde  Lake,  it  does  not  seem  to  have  been  a  place 
of  any  importance,  until  the  construction  of  the  railroad.  It  is 
what  we  would  call  a  Railroad  town.  There  are,  as  might  be 
expected,  at  such  a  junction  and  stop-over  locality,  five  or  six 
Hotels,  all  claiming  through  their  advertisements  and  r-unncrs 
to  be  the  best.  There  are  also  a  number  of  private  houses  at 
which  strangers  are  lodged  and  supplied  with  breakfest  and  the 
incomparable  Swedish  coffee  on  very  moderate  terms.  And  for 
the  purpose  of  gaining  information,  we  chose  an  over-night  resi- 
dence in  one  of  these  dwellings. 

Matilda  Gustafen  was  the  name  of  the  Lodging-house  keeper 
who  solicited  our  patronage,  on  the  platform  of  the  Nassjo 
depot,  at  five  o'clock  in  the  evening, — and  got  it.  It  was  a 
walk  of  about  three  blocks  which  brought  us  to  the  door  of  her 
house  ;  and  better  accommodations,  in  any  particular,  we  did 
not  have  in  all  Sweden. 

It  was  raining  at  the  time  of  our  arrival  at  Nassjo,  and  it  was 
very  sloppy  inside  as  well  as  outside  of  the  covered  station. 
The  roof  was  leaking,  and  the  whole  structure  was  undergoing 
much  needed  repairs. 

The  town  of  Nassjo  contains  about  a  thousand  inhabitants  ; 
but  unless  some  new  enterprise  is  started  in  the  vicinity,  it  will 
soon  fall  off  one-half  in  its  population.  Our  hostess  says  that 
now  many  of  the  heads  of  the  families  of  the  place  have  to  go 
elsewhere  to  get  work,  during  the  Summer  season  ;  and  there 
is  a  great  deal  of  talk  about  "emigration   to  Amcri-ra."     We 


FROM  STOCKHOLM  TO  MALMO. 


279 


sought  and  obtained  introduction  to  five  or  six  men,  who  were 
recummended  to  us  by  our  hostess,,  with  a  view  to  set  before 
them  the  advantages  of  CaUfornia  as  a  home  for  Swedish  emi- 


grants. 


It  is  not  only  that  the  people  here  are  lacking  in  cia- 


PROF.  VICTOR  HUGO  WICKSTROM,    OF  LUND. 

ployment,  and  dissatisfied  with  their  situation,  to  a  great  extent, 
but  it  is  on  account  of  this  being  one  of  the  principal  junction 
points,  that  it  was  eminently  desirable  to  make  a  stop  here,  and 
improve  the  opportunity  to  the  uttermost; — to  educate  repre- 


28o 


NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


sentative  persons  with  respect  to  the  superiority  of  our  Cahfornia 
chmate — that  truly  glorious  climate — our  fruitful  soil,  etc  ,  etc. 

The  train  leaves  Nassjo  for  the  South  at  a  quarter  to  seven,  a.m.  ; 
and  we  arrived  at  Lund  at  little  after  twelve. 

Lund  is  the  second  University  town  of  Sweden,  containing 
about  twelve  thousaud  inhabitants,  and  being  not  far  behind 


LUND    CATHEDRAL. 


Upsala  in  the  number  of  its  students.     Upsalaand  Lund  are  the 
Harvard  and  Yale  of  Sweden. 

Here  is  also  a  famous  cathedral — that  of  St.  Lawrence — a 
venerable  structure,  271  feet  in  length  and  72  feet  in  height. 
It  is  claimed  that  the  perspective  of  the  interior  is  the  finest  of 
any  church  in  Northern  Europe.     The  building  is  larger  at  the 


FROM  STOCKHOLM  TO  MALMO.  281 

Western  end  than  at  the  Eastern  extremity,  and  the  floor  rises 
towards  the  centre  nearly  two  feet,  producing  a  singular  but 
pleasing  cficct  upon  the  beholder.  The  pinnacles  in  the  choir 
symbolize  the  Crown  of  Thorns  ;  and  although  this  portion  of 
the  building  was  reconstructed  a  hundred  years  ago,  there  was 
no  alteration  made  in  the  pattern  of  this  section  of  the  interior, 
as  it  was  originally  designed.  The  organ  is  the  largest  in 
Sweden,  having  3, 070  registers.  The  organist  began  a  rehearsal 
while  we  were  in  the  church  ;  and  though  distant  from  him 
nearly  200  f.et,  we  at  once  felt  the  force  of  the  muffled  truinp- 
ets ;  their  voices  producing  a  crawling,  magnetizing  sensation 
in  our  feet !  When  the  full  musical  peals  came  on,  they  "filled 
the  aisles  and  shook  the  sashes  !  " 

There  is  what  in  Lund  is  commonly  called  the  Subterranean 
Church — a  huge  crypt,  in  fact  and  fashion.  According  to  le- 
gendary story,  this  was  the  work  of  a  giant,  named  Finn,  who 
contracted  with  St.  Lawrence  to  construct  the  Cathedral  at  the 
price  of  the  Sun,  or  the  Moon,  or  the  two  eyes  of  the  Saint. 
But  it  was  the  privilege  of  the  Saint, — his  chance,  as  we  would 
call  it, — to  avoid  this  enormous  planetary  payment  for  which  he 
was  bound  on  this  cruel  alternative,  if  he  could  discover  the 
name  of  the  giant.  The  Saint  accidentally  overheard  the  name 
of  the  Monster  pronounced  by  the  giantess,  and  so  escaped  the 
loss  of  his  organs  of  vision.  This  enraged  the  giant  who  en- 
deavored to  destroy  the  cathedral,  which  he  had  erected,  and  in 
this  unholy  scheme  he  was  aided  by  his  wife,  through  whose 
inadvertence  his  name  had  been  ascertained.  But  the  good 
Saint  Lawrence  (or  Laurentius,  as  they  have  it  here)  uttered  a 
prayer  at  the  right  moment ;  in  response  to  which  the  giant  and 
ills  wife  were  instantly  transformed  into  stone.  The  two  enor- 
mous stone  images  in  the  crypt  are  supposed  to  be  their  petri- 
fied remains.'' 

The  subterranean  church  is  126  feet  by  36,  with  a  height 
of  20  feet ;  being  supported  by  twenty-four  pillars,  and  lighted 
by  ten  windows.  Here  also  is  a  spring,  throwing  up  the  purest 
of  water  ;  a  miraculous  fountain,  like  that  adjacent  to  the  Cathe- 
eral  of  Upsala,  but  not  so  abundant  in  its  supply. 

A  little  distance  from  the  Cathedral  and  in  front  of  the 
house  of  the  Academical  Society,  is  a  splendid  brass  statue 


282. 


NORTHERN  FUROFE. 


< 

OS, 

a 

w 

X 
H 

< 

Q 
Z 

o 

H 


PHOM  STOCKHOLM  TO  MALMO. 


2S3 


of  the  poet  Esaias  Tegner — which  we  were  informed  was 
much  inquired  after  by  Americans,  doubtless  on  account  of 
the  translations  by  Longfellow. 

In  the  University  House,  which  is  North  of  the  Lundagord, 
is  a  Library  of  100,000  volumes  ;  of  which  about  10,000  are 
in  the  English  language. 

There  is  a  very  rich  collection  here  of  manuscripts  ;  in- 
cluding celebrated  letters  of   Cicero,  which  were  printed  on 


NEW  UNIVERSITY  HALL,    LUND. 

parchment  in  Venice  in  1470-  Here  is  also  a  manuscript 
Virgil,  and  the  oldest  manuscript-records  of  the  Kmgdom  of 
Denmark.  .  . 

In  one  of  the  histories  of  the  time  of  Gustavus  Wasa  wnich 
I  glanced  at,  in  this  l>ibrary,  I  observed  the  subjomed 
sentences— reading  according  to  my  translation  as  follows: 
"  The  noble  and  rich  men  of  those  days  often  could  not  read 
or  write  ;  but  they  had  private  secretaries  to  do  their  reading 


284  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

and  writina;  for  them.  People  were  accustomed  to  rise  at  five 
or  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  dine  at  ten  and  take  supper  at 
five.  Plates  were  not  changed  at  the  meals,  and  the  invited 
guests  at  a  party  had  to  take  their  knives  and  forks  and  spoons 
with  them  to  the  house  of  their  host.  The  family  hour  for 
retiring  was  nine  o'clock.  The  beds  were  fastened  in  the 
walls  [as,  indeed,  they  now  are,  in  the  houses  of  the  lower 
orders  of  the  peasantry  of  Delecarlia],  and  the  sleeping  places 
were  arranged  one  above  the  other  ;  sometimes  four  shelves 
on  one  floor.  There  were  no  such  things  as  carriages  ;  every- 
body had  to  travel  on  the  narrow  and  rough  roads  on  horse- 
back. King  Gustavus  considered^  very  wisely,  that  all  the  land 
originally  belonged  to  the  realm,  and  that  it  was  only  held  as  a 
trust  by  the  landholders ;  as,  indeed,  their  7iatne  implied.  He, 
therefore,  followed  a  maxim  :  that  ivhenevcr  a  husbandman  did 
not  properly  cultivate  his  land,  but  alloived  it  to  deteriorate,  he 
should  be  expelled  from  his  possessio/is,  end  the  land  should  be 
transferred  to  more  faithful  hands." 

In  the  Historical  Museum,  among  other  very  remarkable 
objects  which  are  shown  to  visitors,  is  a  chemise  of  the  Holy 
Virgin  which,  if  the  ancient  chronicle,  which  is  recited  by  our 
guide  with  great  distinctness  and  delicacy,  is  to  be  believed, 
possesses  a  miraculous  virtue  in  promoting  easy  confinements. 

Here  also  is  the  house  of  the  poet  Tegner, — indicated  by 
a  stone  on  which  is  written — "  Here  abode  Tegner."  All 
within  and  without  is  kept,  as  nearly  as  may  be,  in  the  same 
condition  in  which  it  was  left  at  his  death.  The  desk  on 
which  he  wrote  is  shown  ;  the  bed  on  which  he  slept ;  and 
the  very  pen  with  which  he  wrote  "  The  First  Communion." 

It  is  a  distance  of  only  about  ten  miles  from  Lund  to 
Malmo.  We  stop  at  the  Kramer  Hotel  ;  literally  close  to  the 
extreme  Southern  boundary  of  the  Kingdom.  The  sense  of 
regret  which  we  have  been  experiencing  with  growing  em- 
phasis, ever  since  we  left  the  Capital,  now  rises  into  a  sharp 
pain  as  we  realize  that  in  a  few  more  days  we  must  bid  fare- 
well to  Sweden  ! 

Malmo,  the  official  residence  of  the  Governor  of  the  prov- 
ince of  Skane,  is  a  city  of  about  40,000  inhabitants,  and  is 
located  diagonally  opposite  the   Danish  Capital,  and  distant 


FROM  STOCKHOLM  TO  MALMO.  285 

two  l\ours'  ride,  by  steamer, — variously  put  down  at  from 
twenty  to  twenty-five  miles.  Bsedecker  states  the  distance 
at  sixteen  miles,  but  this  is  contradicted  by  every  inhabit  mt 
with  whom  we  conversed  with  respect  to  this  little  geo- 
graphical measurement.  The  difference  in  estimate  of  dis- 
tance is  probably  owing  to  intermixed  calculations  of  separa- 
tion between  Copenhagen  and  Malmo  and  Copenhagen  and 
Landskrona,  etc.  However  that  may  be,  and  singular  as  it 
may  appear,  this  is  a  quietly  mooted  point — on  the  wharves 
of  the  Southern  metropolis.  One  sailor  told  us  that  it  was  "  all 
according  to  the  shoot  [or  shute]  you  took  when  you  made 
for  the  opposite  shore  ;  "  a  combination  of  sailor  and  lands- 
man vernacular  which  needs  accounting  for  by  itself — prob- 
ably explained  by  the  amphibious  nature  of  the  speaker. 

That  we  are  on  the  border  line  between  Sweden  and  Den- 
mark is  made  apparent  very  shortly  after  our  arrival  here. 
Going  into  the  dining-room  of  this  hotel,  we  hear  the  unmis- 
takable vowel  distinctions  between  the  two  nations  ;  the  dis- 
cordant distinction  between  the  two  languages  being  noticeable 
across  almost  every  table  in  the  spacious  hall. 

Kramer's  Hotel  is  situated  at  one  corner  of  the  Stertog,  on 
which  also  face  the  Hotel  Gustaf  Adolph,  and  the  great  hall 
of  the  city, — the  Radhus — and  also  the  residence  of  the  Gov- 
ernor of  the  Province.  It  is  about  the  size  of  Sinclair  hotel, 
in  New  York,  or  the  Montgomery  corner  of  the  Lick  House, 
in  San  Francisco  ;  and  the  spacious  rooms  are  rented  at  from 
five  to  seven  kroners  a  day. 

Malmo  began  before  the  date  of  the  earliest  existing  record 
of  its  people's  lives  to  be  "  an  important  point "'  for  herring 
fish  marketing — so  tradition  speaks  of  it.  It  is  absolutely 
"historic"  only  since  1259,  when  it  was  where  it  now  is  not. 
That  is  to  say,  it  then  was  a  little  at  one  side — at  a  place 
now  called  Sodeiuam.  It  is  like  Gothenberg  in  this  respect : 
Having  shifted  its  base  a  few  miles — (as  notably  ought  to 
have  been  the  case  with  our  California  city  of  Sacramento, 
in  1852).  It  never  was  much  of  a  town  to  boast  of,  until 
one  Frans  Suell,  in  1775-78 — "a  wealthy  and  public-spirited 
merchant  " — actually  created  a  harbor ;  by  running  out  long 


286 


NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


piers  and  cross-ways  on  tlie  Northwest  side  of  the  town. 
At  the  extreme  end  of  the  main  pier  or  break-water,  or 
more  properly  sand-break —which  extends  a  distance  of  half 
a  mile  from  the  main  land — there  is  a  tall  lighthouse  ,  Avliile 
a  shorter  tower  is  set  midway  between  it  and  the  main  lower 
dock.  The  lamp  at  the  Point  has  a  colored  glass,  and  is  re- 
volving; and  by  its  situation  and  appearances  altogether  it 
strongly  suggests  the  picture  presented  by  one  of  the  well- 


MVLMO  CASTLE. 


known  scenes  in  the  opera  of  Olivette.  I  feel  sure  that  the 
original  idea  of  the  setting  of  that  piece  was  taken  from  ac- 
tual observation  of  the  lighting  of  the  harbor  lamps  on  the 
edges  of  the  pier  of  Malmo. 

Of  course  Malmo  has  a  castle,  or  a  fortress,  so-called. 
And  of  course  it  was  built  upon  the  foundations  of  another 
castle,  or  on  the  same  site  at  least.  The  present  structure  is 
dated   1537.     It  is  now  used  as  a  jail  for  the  province   of 


FROM  STOCKHOLM  TO  aMALMO. 


287 


Skane.  It  will  be  remembered  that  Bothwell,  one  of  the 
husbands  of  Mary  Queen  of  Scots,  turned  pirate  after  his 
expulsion  from  Scotland.  After  his  capture  on  the  high  seas 
he  was  imprisoned  in  this  fortress  ;  and  visitors  are  permitted 
to  visit  the  door-way  of  the  dungeon  in  which  he  was  con- 
fined. The  entrance  to  this  damp  and  narrow  cell  has  been 
walled  up  ;  of  which  there  is  so  much  complaint  on  the  part 


MALMO  CITY  HALL. 

of  visitors,  that  it  is  said  that  the  authorities  are  seriously 
considering  the  proposition  of  gomplying  with  a  general  re- 
quest for  unsealing  and  re-opening. 

It  is  written  that  visitors  may  see  in  the  Governor's  house 
the  room  in  which  the  late  King  Charles  XV.  died,  on  the 
18th  of  September,  1872 — while  on  his  way  back  from  Aix- 
la-Chapelle    to   Stockholm.     We  rang  and  knocked  at  the 


288  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

outer  door  of  this  Executive  Mansion  in  vain.  No  one  came 
from  within  to  let  us  in,  or  to  do  us  the  kindness  to  tell  us 
to  go  away.  Finally  a  passer-by — kind,  courteous  soul  :  may 
his  immense  shadow  never  be  less — stepped  up  to  the  inner 
porch,  where  we  were  pulling  bell-knobs  and  thumping  with 
audaciously  increasing  racket,  and  informed  us  that  the  new 
Governor  was  a — mean  man.  He  had  re-arranged  the  fur- 
niture in  the  room  where  the  popular  monarch  died,  and  had 
closed  out  the  show  business,  from  which  theretofore  the 
porters  had  derived  a  modest  and  honest  \xoxiQX,  per  capita, 
etc. 

But  could  we  see  the  interior  of  the  Town  Hall?  Our 
chance  acquaintance  and  adviser  didn't  think  we  could. 
But  being  in  an  exasperated  condition  of  mind,  collectively 
speaking,  our  company  resolved  that  we  would  make  an 
effort  to  get  within.  The  exterior  of  this  edifice  is  very  hand- 
some. There  are  oriel  windows,  and  rich  copings  and  at- 
tractive features  in  sandstone.  We  learned  that  the  custodian 
was  in  the  court  room  trying  a  case  !  But  a  lad  told  us  that 
he  would  "  come  "  presently.  He  does  put  in  an  appearance 
in  a  very  short  time  ;  allowing  for  his  having  "  a  long  term  of 
action  in  hand," — as  another  kind  informant  told  us,  in  a  de- 
termined effort  to  speak  English.  A  slim,  solemn-looking 
man  of  fifty  came  forth,  very  nicely  dressed.  (What  if  the 
prancing  boy  at  Upsala  had  seen  his  coat !  Would  he  not 
have  been  excited  to  a  communistic  pitch  ?  So  we  simulta- 
neously suggested.)  We  offered  this  gentleman  a  gratuity 
with  fear  and  trembling.  But  he  took  it  with  a  complacency 
that  was — well,  it  was  worth  the  money,  to  see  how  a  man  of 
his  mien  and  deportment  could  take  our  offering.  There 
was  a  kind  of  magnanimity,  of  condescension  about  it,  that 
was  deserving  of  study  and  eulogy. 

The  stair-way  is  of  granite,  with  highly  polished  green  stone 
balustrades.  The  frescoing  is  emblematic  of  commerce  and 
agricultural  industry.  The  first  hall  is  adorned  with  pictures 
of  Swedish  monarchs  and  queens,  ladies  of  the  court  who 
are  distinguished  as  beauties, — together  with  a  itw  landscapes 
and  two  or  three  battle  pieces.  The  second  and  larger  hall 
is  where  the  great  dancing  parties  trip — [and  visitors  are  al- 


FROM  STOCKHOLM  TO  MALAIO. 


289 


ways  saying  that  it  must  be  dangerous  to  limb  and  neck  to 
wheel  rapidly  about  on  these  waxened  floors] — and  both 
grand  apartments  are  of  the  pattern  observed  at  the  Palace 
at  Stockholm.  The  smaller  hall  is  used  for  a  dining  room, 
on  festive  occasions,  and  will  seat  500  guests.  100  couples 
join  in  the  mazy  dance  in  the  principal  chamber. 

The  Kockumska  Hus,  erected  fifty  years  before  Columbus 


ST.    PETER  S  CHURCH,   MALMO. 


discovered  America — is  in  a  good  state  of  preservation.  Here 
lived  the  "warlike  burgomaster,"  Kock,  and  Suell,  the  wise 
and  patriotic  merchant  before  referred  to. 

At  one  of  the  churches  we  gaze  upon  a  full  length  ])icture 
of  Martin  Luther — which  does  not  represent  him  in  an  amiable 
mood. 

In  the  vestibule  of  the  Church  of  St.  Peter  is  a  curious 


290 


NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


^^^3^^^^^mw^0&^^ 


fct-_s:?^ 


KOCKUMSKA  HUS. 


FROM   STOCKHOLM    TO  MALMO.  291 

poor-box,  eight  feet  long  and  four  feet  in  both  width  and 
height — said  to  be  four  hundred  years  old.  It  has  four  sepa- 
rate slits,  for  church,  hospital,  widows  and  orphans  respec- 
tively. It  is  only  patronized  now  by  strangers;  the  usual 
modern  method  of  collecting  being  by  bags  or  boxes  held  at 
the  doors  after  service.  After  the  announced  manner  of  all 
"charitably  disposed  visitors,"  we  dropped  in  a  few  ores,  and 
listened  to  the  somewhat  singular  cavernous  echoes. 

At  the  great  Malmo  machine  shop  over  1,500  men  are  em- 
ployed. Just  now  the  work  is  centred  upon  the  machinery 
of  a  huge  steamer,  which  is  to  carry  loaded  cars  across  the 
sound,  between  Malmo  and  Copenhagen,  after  the  manner  of 
the  Jersey  City  and  Brooklyn,  and.  our  San  Francisco  and 
Oakland  and  "Solano"  steamer  transfer.  She  is  to  lake 
freight-cars  that  will  travel  from  Denmark  stations  to  all 
points  of  railroad  connection  in  Sweden,  and  return. 

Here  the  machinist  gets  from  seven  to  fifteen  kroners  a 
week — working  by  the  piece  ;  according  as  there  may  be 
work  for  him  in  his  particular  line.  The  moulders  get  as 
high  as  seven  kroners  [^1.82]  a  day  ;  depending  of  course 
upon  their  skill  and  experience. 

The  eccentric  on  the  main  shaft  of  the  big  ferry-boat  was 
being  cut  down  to  the  proper  diameter,  while  we  were  taking 
observations  ;  and  we  were  told  that  it  required  a  month  of 
labor  to  construct  the  machinery  by  which  this  stupendous 
piece  of  business  was  being  performed.  The  immense  shaft 
was  held  in  the  jaws  of  mammoth  pincers,  and  its  revolutions 
in  the  face  of  the  paring  chisel  were  guided  with  mathemat- 
ical exactness  by  a  single  lever  in  the  hand  of  one  man. 
This  man  had  this  twenty-two  tons  of  iron  under  his  thumb, 
in  the  most  literal  sense  that  you  could  imagine.  He  seemed 
to  be  playing  with  the  whole  arrangement.  But  in  point  of 
fact  he  was  not.  He  had  a  drawing  before  him  ;  and  he  was 
peeling  that  big  bolt  to  a  hair's  turn.  So  he  said,  in  a 
quiet,  confident  and  rather  confidential  way ;  and  we  be- 
lieved him. 

But  to  us  an  equally  interesting  section  of  the  great  estab- 
lishment was  in  the  moulders'  department.     Here,  in  a  build- 


292 


NORTHERN-  EUROPE. 


ing  300  feet  long  by  200  wide — an  immense  barn  of  space — 
a  hundred  men  were  squatting  literally  on  the  ground  floor  ; 
digging  in  the  soft  black  sand  with  their  hands,  or  carefully 
covering  up  an  earthen  image,  which  signified  an  ultimate 
propeller  or  cylinder  top,  or  boiler-head  or  bed  plate.     In 


FLAT  AND  SIDE     VIEW  OF  SWEDISH  BREAD. 


what  august  stillness  these  gnomes  pursued  their  vulcanic 
labors  !  The  natural  gloom  of  the  building — with  its  com- 
paratively few  windows  located  high  up,  near  the  roof — 
seemed  to  be  deepened  by  the  color  of  the  earth  which  these 
dumb  delvers  and  fashioners  were  paddling  or  tossing  about 
with  their  naked  hands.     With  finical  nicety  did  one  old  man 


FROM  STOCKHOLM  TO  MALMO.  293 

scatter  some  white  grains  at  the  edge  of  one  of  his  oblong,  flat- 
tened boxes.  Then  he  took  a  whisp  broom  and  swept  off 
the  few  particles  that  clung  to  the  wood.  "  Was  all  this  pre- 
cision necessary  ? "  was  the  question  that  went  the  rounds. 
Of  course,  it  must  be  ;  and  it  was  because  of  his  skill  and 
faithful  scrupulosity  in  this  department  that  this  old  man — 
now  over  seventy,  and  now  worth  in  his  own  right  over 
40,000  kroners,  the  fruit  of  a  long  life  of  incessant  toil — re- 
ceived seven  kroners  a  day  for  his  services. 

Some  of  the  elders  in  our  party  were  indulging  in  the  ut- 
terances of  various  economic  propositions  and  sentimental 
suggestions  and  reflections,  naturally  allied,  when  a  youthful 
companion — who  had  been  remarkably  silent  for  some  time — 
gave  a  deep,  loud  sigh,  and  met  the  many  inquiries  as  to  the 
cause  of  her  depression  by  the  one  exclamation,  "  O,  what  a 
place  to  make  mud  pies  !  " 

We  agree  in  favor  of  a  social  sexsor,  on  the  night  before  we 
bid  farewell  to  this  beautiful  land.  What  shall  be  the  main 
articles  of  luxuriant  repast  for  our  delectation  on  such  an  oc- 
casion ?  We  take  another  ballot  :  and  lo,  there  comes  forth 
a  unanimous  vote  for — what  think  you? — Swedish  bread  and 
coffee  !  Aside  from  these,  of  course,  let  th3re  be  the  best 
attainable  variety  of  edibles  for  our  guests. 

How  many  times  have  you  and  I,  dear  reader,  pitied  those 
poor  sailors  in  the  United  States  Courts,  who  have  been  com- 
pelled to  face  the  unnecessarily  sharp  cross-examinations  of 
the  attorneys  for  the  defense,  in  a  case  of  alleged  cruelty  on 
shipboard — how  often,  I  say.  have  we  pitied  them,  when  they 
confessed  that  they  never  had  tasted  anything  but  brown  or 
black  hard  bread,  until  after  they  left  their  native  country. 
Why  here  we  are,  mourning  our  departure  from  this  same 
kingdom  of  cracker  loaves,  because  among  other  afflictive  de- 
privations we  shall  no  more  taste  this  all-crust,  brittle  but 
delicious  article  of  diet.  And  here  we  are  delivering  to  one 
another  our  best  emjihasis  of  wonder,  because  at  least  in  such 
great  cities  as  New  York  and  San  Francisco  there  are  not 
genuine  Swedish  bakeries  (as  well  as  Swedish  coffee  houses) 
to  meet  the  wants  of  a  large  Swedish  population, — as  well  as 


294 


NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


COSTUMES  IN  SKANE. 


I 


FROM  STOCKHOLM  TO  MALMO.  295 

to  gratify  the  cultivated  tastes  of  wise  men  and  women  of 
American  parentage  and  Yankee,  pie-biting  table  appetites. 
We  liave  everywhere  abundance  of  imitations  of  that — at 
best — unpalatable,  indigestion-breeding  oat-meal  porridge  or 
mush.  Let  us  import  an  every  way  preferable  article  of 
diet. 

But  we  are  destined  to  have  our  plans  in  the  last  respect 
broken  in  upon.     This  comes  in  the  form  of  an  invitation  to 
take  a  good-bye  dinner  at  the  house  of  a  relative  of  a  gentle- 
man— Mr.  Rasmus  Parsons,  of  Boulder,  Colorado — whose  ac- 
quaintance we  made  while  crossing  the  plains  of  America. 
Seven  miles  out  of  the  city,  to  the  house  of  our  entertainers, 
we  go.     We  pass  several  beet-sugar  plantations  on  the  road. 
The  raising  of  this  vegetable  in  this  section  for  sugar-making 
has  after  many  failures  proved  a  success.     We  pass  many 
wind-mills,  that  are  turned  about  to  meet  the  wind  ;  the  whole 
building  being  swung  around  so  as  to  preseat  a  fan  front  to 
the  prevailing  breeze.     We  pass  several  honey-making  estab- 
lishments.    Rows  of  bee- hives  that  number  as  many  as  fifty 
on  a  bench.     We  pass  a  great  dairy  owned  by  an  Austrian 
gentleman  ;  who  has  expended  many  thousands  of  kroners 
evq^ry  year  in  valuable  experiments  on  breeds  and  methods  of 
milking  and  bestovv-ing  the  cream.     We  see  that  every  house- 
hold has  one  or  two-window  shelves  ornamented  with  flowers  ; 
and  notice  that  the  myrtle  grows  here  in  luxuriant  strength 
and  spreading  fulness.     We  overtake  a  small  wagon  loaded 
with  brooms  ;  and  are  informed  that  they  come  from  America, 
along  with  the  sewing  machines  and  the  petroleum.     We  hear 
again  that  the  same  Singer  and  Wheeler  &  Wilson's  that  cost 
our  folks  $45  are  sold  liere  for  one-third  those  sums.     We  see 
a  woman  washing  in  a  stream  ;  and  inquiring  what  that  green 
treacle  is  with  which  she  daubs  her  clothes,  we  are  told  that 
that  is  tlie  genuine  Swedish   soap  ;  that  that  which  we  call 
soap  is  unknown  by  such  a  name  in  this  part  of  the  globe. 
And  thus  we  become  communicative  not  to  say  confidential  ; 
and   inform  our   Scandinavian    friends  that  in    the   United 
States  we  have  also  two  kinds  of  soap  :  one  used  for  cleans- 
ing purposes,  and  the  other,  it  is  confessed,  used  by  political 


296 


NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


saints  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  doubtful  States  at  or  im- 
mediately preceding  a  Presidential  election.  We  are  not 
thoroughly  understood  by  all  hearers,  perhaps  ;  but  we  intend 
to  be  beneficially  instructive.  Wc  meet  two  boys  driving  one 
ox  before  a  two-wheeled  vehicle  filled  with  potatoes.  We  see 
a  woman  in  a  field  milking  a  sheep  ;  and  ascertain  that  she 
is  proprietress  of  a  small  cheese  factory. 

Arriving  at  the  house  of  our  host  and  hostess,  we  are  wel- 
comed with  enthusiastic  demonstrations  that  apparently  only 
stopped  short  of  hurrahing  ;  and  it  would  seem  that  there 
never  could  be  again  such  heartiness  and  cordiality  !  And 
such  profusion  of  novel  delicacies  at  a  "greeting  repast!" 
spread  for  our  refreshment  at  the  moment  we  enter  the  house. 
After  four  hours  spent  in  delightful  conversation — sitting 
within  or  walking  round  about — we  are  summoned  to  the 
great  dining-room,  for  a  Swedish  dinner.  Well,  so  far  there 
have  been  approaches  and  approximations.  But  now  we  are  to 
understand — as  experienced  ones  in  the  party  announce — that 
we  have  got  the  perfection.  Seven  courses,  exclusive  of  Smer- 
gorsbord  ;  with  a  central  pivot  of  fruit-soup.  And  such  dishes  ! 
Who  can  abide  these  things.?  Is  there  no  way  out }  It  is  bid- 
den that  at  least  we  must  taste,  to  the  end  of  the  catalogue  !  I 
know  not  what  French  cuisine  may  be  awaiting  us  ;  and  I  do 
not  care.  I  am  prepared  to  give  in  my  verdict  now,  without 
any  further  evidence  in  the  premises. 

We  do  not  need  to  be  admonished  that  we  shall  often  be 
called  upon,  if  gratitude  survives,  to  remember  our  most  hos- 
pitable hosts  of  Skane  : — Seppa  and  Margareta  Manson. 

No  wonder  the  initiated  traveller  seeks  to  secure  the  services 
of  a  thoroughly  educated  Swedish  cook.  Here  they  are  :  a 
whole  family  of  them  (including — alas! — one  beautiful  girl, 
who  has  just  fallen  ill  with  incurable  hip  disease.) 

"Thank  you  very  much!"  So  say  we  all.  For  once  we 
deferentially  acknowledge,  by  an  exact  observance,  the  custom 
of  the  country,  and  audibly  and  fervently  join  in  the  formal 
sentence  of  thanks  to  our  entertainers,  on  risinj  from  the 
table. 


Then  we  arc  shown  the  garret  of  this  big  house. 


A  regular 


FJ^OM  STOCKIIULM  TO  MALMO. 


297 


Ol'K   MALMO   lM\rKkr.\lNKKS. 


298  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

old-fashioned  Xew  England  garret.  Here  is  a  cradle  that 
was  made  in  1742  ;  just  as  good  as  the  day  it  left  the  cabinet- 
maker's shop.  In  it  have  been  rocked  five  generations  ;  and 
unless  future  parents  in  the  same  line  are  converted  to  the 
idea  that  the  motion  is  not  good  for  the  infant  brain,  what  is 
to  hinder  five  more  generations  from  becoming  occupants  of 
this  capacious  lullaby  edifice  ?  Here  is  a  rag  carpet  in  a 
loom  ;  and  a  ball  of  tape  half  completed.  Here  is  a  secretary 
over  300  years  old  ;  made  in  Denmark  before  Christian  I,  was 
born.  And  here  comes  a  huge  cat,  calling  to  her  kittens ; 
whose  cozy  bed  close  to  the  eaves  is  a  type  of  domestic  com- 
fort, and  soon  presents  a  picture  of  matronly  fondness,  pride, 
and  bliss.  (O,  how  Starr  King  would  have  enjoyed  this 
garret !) 

We  ascend  a  hill  a  quarter  of  a  mile  distant  from  and 
directly  in  front  of  this  mansion  of  Swedish  hospitality.  From 
the  summit  we  descry  Malmo,  Lund,  and  Copenhagen,  with 
five  outlying  churches  on  this  side  of  the  Sound. 


xxni. 

COPENHAGEN. 

The  Malmo-Copenhagen  steamers  make  four  round  trips 
each  day;  the  passage  occupying  from  one  hour  and  a  half  to 
two  hours.  The  vessels  are  about  the  size  of  the  Dover  and 
Calais  boats  ;  and  they  very  closely  resemble  each  other  in 
their  model  and  accommodations.  But  this  passage,  although 
nearly  the  same  in  distance,  is  usually  by  no  means  so  tem- 
pestuous or  chopping  as  the  North  Sea  Channel  crossing;  and 
in  summer  and  early  autumn  it  is  as  smooth  sailing,  from 
Swedish  dock  to  Danish  harbor,  as  it  is  in  either  the  New 
York  or  San  Francisco  Bay  in  the  pleasantest  weather. 

Denmark  now  comprises  about  1 5,000  square  miles  of  territo- 
ly, — a  little  more  than  the  lake-water  surface  within  the  bound- 
aries of  Sweden, — and  has  a  little  over  2,000,000  inhabitants, 
more   than  one-tenth  of  whom  reside  at  the  capital  of  the 


COPENHAGEN. 


299 


kingdom.  While  so  insignificant  in  acreage  and  population, 
it  is  a  great  factor  in  international  marital  heraldry.  England, 
Russia,  Germany,  Sweden,  and  Greece  are  all  closely  allied  to 
Denmark  by  wedding-rings ;  and  a  popular  sentence  or  phrase 
of  gossip,  that  is  often  uttered  with  great  seriousness,  is  to 


the  effect  that  Prussia  will,  or  must,  forbear  from  swallowing 
up  the  little  left  after  the  Schleswig-Holstein  conquest,  on 
account  of  existing  and  future  demand  and  supply  for  eligible 
matches  among  the  royal  houses  of  Europe. 

The  first  close  view  of  Copenhagen  touches  the  light-house 
and  the  fortress, — around  which  the  steamer  swings  in  its 
entrance  into  the  straits  which  separate  Seeland  from  the 
Island  of  Amager.  The  great  dome  of  the  marble  church — 
(foundation  laid  in  1749;  now  nearly  completed) — is  a  con- 


) 


300  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

spicuous  figure  from  the  water,  as  we  make  our  approach ;  a 
fact  to  be  more  particularly  noted  now,  because  when  you 
have  once  arrived  at  the  city's  edge  you  lose  sight  of  this 
prominent  object  altogether,  and  wonder  in  what  direction  it 
bears  from  your  wharf. 

The  landing  of  the  Malmo  steamer  is  at  the  corner  of 
Hannegade  and  Charlottenborg ;  in  close  proximity  to  a  line 
of  custom-house  sheds,  of  small  dimensions,  in  which  the 
baggage  is  temporarily  stored  for  inspection.  The  examina- 
tion by  the  custom-house  officers  is  of  the  most  trifling  char- 
acter. In  fact,  the  practice  is  to  look  the  passenger  amiably, 
but  "  officially,"  in  the  face  and  ask  him  if  he  has  anything  to 
"  declare."  If  the  answer  is  in  the  negative,  in  nine  cases  out 
of  ten  the  baggage  is  passed  without  unlocking  or  opening. 

We  had  resolved  to  try  an  experiment  at  Copenhagen  in 
the  way  of  selecting  a  hotel ;  and  we  have  to  report  a  success- 
ful venture  in  this  direction.  Instead  of  naming  any  one  of 
the  inns  recommended  or  pointed  out  by  the  various  guide- 
books, we  engaged  the  services  of  a  porter  at  the  wharf,  and 
told  him  to  take  our  luggage  and  lead  our  party  to  a  quiet, 
unpretending  hotel,  in  some  street  not  far  distant  from  the 
centre  of  the  city — if  such  a  place  there  was,  to  his  knowledge. 
We  were  taken  to  the  Prinds  Oscar  Hotel,  13  Kongensgade, 
Frants  Jorgensen,  Kjobenhavn ;  and  I  respectfully,  but  cor- 
dially, recommend  it  to  those  who  may  come  after.  The 
entrance  is  "  unpretending  "  sure  enough.  You  might  call  it 
mean  and  contemptible,  for  a  "hotel."  It  is  a  narrow  door- 
way, from  whence  a  short  hall, — not  more  than  ten  feet  in 
length  and  three  feet  in  width, — leads  to  the  stairway.  But 
when  you  have  arrived  at  the  upper  landing,  you  find  excel- 
lently furnished  suites  of  rooms,  with  good  ventilation  and 
outlook,  and  the  attendance  comes  nearly  up  to  the  Swedish 
standard  of  perfection.  We  had  occasion  to  visit  friends  at 
houses  where  the  charges  were  more  than  twice  as  high ;  and 
we  observed  that  we  were,  on  all  accounts,  better  seated  and 
served  in  this  modest  hostelry.  It  is  less  than  fifty  feet  from 
Prinds  Oscar  Hotel  to  the  King's  New  Market  or  New 
Square — so  that  we  could  not  well  be  more  centrally  situated. 
I  speak  of  this  inn  location,  because  I  do  not  know  of  any 


COPENHAGEN.  301 

greater  service  that  any  person  could  do  to  me,  as  a  traveller, 
than  to  give  his  conscientious  judgment  and  recommendation 
with  respect  to  such  matters.  And  I  have  met  so  many  trav- 
ellers from  America  and  from  England,  who  have  complained 
of  extortionate  charges  and  poor  accommodations,  at  one  and 
the  same  time  and  place,  while  stopping  at  what  were  called 
first-class  hotels,  that  I  am  induced  to  make  it  a  frequent 
practice  to  commend,  in  this  volume,  such  reasonable  and 
well-conducted  inns  as  it  may  be  our  good  fortune  to  patron- 
ize. I  have  already  the  thanks  of  one  of  the  authors  of  one 
of  our  most  popular  guide-books  for  the  trouble  I  have  taken 
in  the  way  of  informing  him  as  to  our  experience  in  the  par- 
ticular indicated,  along  our  line  of  journeying. 

From  the  King's  New  Market,  thirteen  streets  take  their 
departure.  Immediately  in  front  of  the  centre  of  this  square, 
is  the  great  Hotel  d^ Angleterre  (recently,  I  believe,  renamed 
de  r Europe) — the  principal  edifice  of  the  kind  in  this  city, 
and  capable  of  accommodating  five  hundred  guests.  In  the 
centre  of  the  Square,  and  in  a  small  enclosure, — (in  an  oval 
space,  not  more  than  fifty  feet  in  length  by  twenty  feet  at  its 
greatest  breadth,  surrounded  by  an  iron  fence), — is  an  eques- 
trian statue  of  Christian  V.,  cast  in  lead.  It  is  not  an  im- 
pressive figure,  and  it  is  not  on  a  sufficient  pedestal  elevation. 
On  the  west  side  of  the  square  is  the  palace  of  Charlottenborg, 
where  the  native  artists  exhibit  their  paintings,  in  the  months 
of  April  and  May. 

On  the  north-west,  as  you  stand  before  this  great  hotel,  you 
have  a  view  of  a  number  of  old-fashioned  Dutch  or  Flemish 
houses, — with  their  long,  sharp-sloping  and  many-story  roofs  ; 
the  pictures  of  which,  long  ago,  formed  most  attractive  feat- 
ures in  the  books  printed  for  the  entertainment  of  our  chil- 
dren. We  recognize  at  once  the  fact  of  the  copyings  of  these 
structures,  that  were  made  in  early  times  in  our  city  of  Goth- 
am and  vicinity ;  and  we  note  the  imitations,  with  modern 
architectural  improvements,  which  are  to  be  seen  in  newly- 
constructed  and  in  nearly-completed  buildings,  in  the  northern 
portion  of  our  great  Atlantic  metropolis.  These  quaint  old 
houses  give  me  a  glow  of  tender  recollection  and  a  present 
satisfaction,  which  it  seems  as  though  every  American  trav- 


302 


NOR  THERN  E  UROPE. 


eller  should  feel  on  first  sight,  and  often  thereafter  vividly 
recall. 

I  believe  I  can  truly  say  that  we  omitted,  in  our  visits,  no 
building  or  point  of  importance  or  interest,  in  Copenhagen, 
pointed  out  by  Baedecker  or  Murray  or  the  local  guide- 
book authors.  But  I  can  only  refer,  in  these  pages,  to  a  very 
few  of  the  places  which  I  have  seen  and  examined,  and,  as  a 
rule,  I  have  sought  and  shall  endeavor,  with  respect  to  them, 
to  note  here  only  such  things  as  are  not  spoken  of  or  de- 
scribed in  detail,  by  the  writers  whose  volumes  are  convenient 
to  have  and  to  handle  in  any  of  our  ordinary  home  or  knap- 
sack libraries. 

But  before  speaking  further  descriptively,  I  will  say  one 
thing  with  respect  to  the  guide-books  which  the  traveller  will 
be  inclined  to  purchase  on  his  arrival  in  England  and  before 
his  departure  for  the  Continent.  So  far  as  I  am  able  to  judge 
from  my  stock  on  hand,  they  are  all  written  with  a  conscien- 
tious endeavor  to  tell  the  truth.  Even  Murray's,  which  is 
loaded  down  with  advertisements, — giving  a  suspicion  of  par- 
tiality from  that  very  fact, — can  usually  be  relied  upon  for 
correct  statements  with  respect  to  the  accommodations  that 
can  be  had  in  different  localities,  the  prices,  and  the  proba- 
bilities or  danger  of  imposition,  etc.  But  I  must  repeat,  in 
the  interest  of  justice  :  Baedecker's  is  the  best.  It  is  more 
compendious ;  it  is  more  accurate.  It  has  mistakes,  but 
they  are  none  of  a  very  serious  nature.  And  I  happen  to 
know  from  mv  own  communications,  that  there  is  an  anxious 
desire,  on  the  part  of  the  publishers,  to  keep  up  with  the  times 
in  their  information,  and  to  render  their  pages  as  exactly  cor- 
rect as  it  is  possible  to  make  them.  I  believe  there  is  a  scru- 
pulosity about  this — amounting  to  anxiety — in  the  Baedecker 
establishment,  which  does  not  exist  elsewhere.  But  even 
Baedecker  did  not  name  the  Prinds  Oscar  Hotel !  He  must 
enlarge  his  volume  by  another  line. 

One  of  the  most  curious  sights  in  Copenhagen,  and  one  that 
strikes  the  observer  almost  on  the  instant  of  his  arrival,  is  the 
tower  of  the  Church  of  the  Redeemer,  which  rises  to  the 
height  of  286  feet.  It  is  situated  in  what  is  called  the  Chris- 
tianshavn  quarter,  and  is  a  conspicuous  object  as  you  near  the 


COPENHAGEN. 


Z^Z 


^RitsTdlrle 


PLAN    OF   COPENHAGAN. 


304  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

harbor  ;  being  discernible,  on  a  clear  day,  from  the  Swedish 
border.  The  tower  is  surmounted  by  a  figure  of  the  Re- 
deemer. By  means  of  a  spiral  staircase,  on  the  outside,  you 
ascend  to  the  summit.  The  figure  has  that  appearance  which 
suggests  to  the  visiting  children  the  idea  of  a  watchman  con- 
stantly on  the  lookout  for  fire.  And  1  should  say  that,  on  all 
accounts^  it  was  not  calculated  to  inspire  reverential  ideas, — 
whether  on  a  distant  or  a  close  observation. 

Of  course,  we  visited  the  museums,  and  not  to  mention 
Thorwaldsen's  would  be  an  unpardonable  omission.  For 
though  it  has  been  described  a  thousand  times,  a  passing 
notice  must  at  least  be  tolerated  in  this  sketching.  Taking 
the  descriptions,  as  I  read  them  from  the  authors  with  whose 
writings  it  is  probable  that  nearly  all  my  readers  are  familiar, 
I  should  say  that  such  representations  belonged  to  the  early 
years  of  this  edifice.  The  series  of  scenes  in  plaster  on  the 
exterior  of  the  building,  have  been  considerably  defaced  by 
time  and  weather ;  and,  altogether,  they  present  an  unpleasing 
picture.  There  should  be  a  well-directed  appropriation  for 
repairs  and  retouching. 

Not  less  than  three  hours  must  be  devoted  to  a  walk  through 
these  corridors  and  cabinets,  so  closely  lined  with  sculpture 
and  painting.  Taking  the  amount  of  labor  of  love  that  must 
have  been  expended  upon  these  verified  products  of  this 
master-hand,  there  is  signified  such  industry  as  amazes  and 
confomids  the  beholder.  How  is  it  possible  that  he  could 
have  accomplished  so  much !  And  all  these  but  a  fraction  of 
the  labor  of  his  hands ! 

The  galleries  are  well  arranged,  in  this  respect,  that  after 
you  have  passed  before  all  the  works  of  art  here  exhibited, 
under  the  usual  leadership  or  direction,  you  arrive  at  the 
room  which  contains  portraits  and  busts  of  the  great  sculptor, 
and  articles  of  furniture  which  were  in  his  household  use. 
You  are  ready  there,  indeed,  to  sit  down  and  gaze  upon  the 
features  of  this  wonderful  man.  And  you  experience  grateful 
and  other  delightful  emotions  when  you  are  permitted  to  take 
into  your  own  hand  a  few  of  the  articles  which  belonged  to 
his  personal  outfit, — as  one  of  his  watches,  some  of  the  pens 
with  which  he  wrote,  the  glasses  which  he  wore,  and  the  like. 


COP  EN  HA  GEN.  305 

From  this  scene  the  natural  order  of  visiting  names  The 
Chur-ch  of  our  Lady,  where  Thorwaldsen's  Twelve  Apostles  are 
to  be  seen. 

The  Museum  of  Northern  Antiquities  contains  40,000 
specimens  of  implements,  weapons,  musical  instruments, 
trinkets,  coffins,  etc.,  and  their  arrangement  is  better  than  in 
the  larger  institution  at  Stockholm. 

Between  the  hours  of  ten  and  two  you  are  permitted  to 
ascend  the  round  tower,  which  is  attached  to  the  Church  of 
the  Trinity,  and  which  projects  into  Crystal  Street.  This 
tower  is  120  feet  in  height,  and  is  ascended  by  a  brick  cause- 
way, which  is  fully  twelve  feet  in  width.  The  ascent  is  very 
gradual,  and  carriages  could  be  taken  to  within  eighteen  feet  of 
the  surmounting  cupola.  In  fact,  Catherine  of  Russia  and 
Peter  the  Great  did  "  make  the  trip  "  with  carriage  and  four 
horses,  in  1716.  The  grade  is  about  twice  as  steep  as  the 
highest  on  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad,  but  the  fare — for  the 
privilege  of  walking  up — is  no  greater  than  you  have  to  pay 
for  transportation  over  the  same  distance  on  the  railway  line 
that  is  owned  and  controlled  by  our  great  monopolists.  In 
the  inner  cylinder  of  this  tower  were  placed  the  treasures  of 
the  University  Library,  during  the  English  bombardment  of 
1807.  From  the  summit  is  an  excellent  and  comprehensive 
view  of  the  city  and  the  vicinity, — the  tower  being  situated 
very  nearly  in  the  centre  of  the  populated  district. 

Copenhagen  can  undoubtedly  boast  of  possessing  one  of 
the  most  attractive  amusement  gardens  in  the  world— The 
Tivoli.  It  is  situated  on  the  Vesterbrogade, — just  outside  of 
the  thickly-populated  portion  of  the  town.  It  is  reached  by 
several  lines  of  tramways  and  omnibuses.  Admission  is 
usually  35  ore,  or  about  9  cents  ;  but  on  great  occasions, 
50  ore,  or  12^  cents,  is  the  charge  for  a  ticket. 

In  this  garden  there  are  three  music  stands,  with  covered 
space  for  listeners;  one  of  these  stands  being  at  the  end  of  a 
very  handsomely  constructed  amphitheatre.  There  is  also  a 
small  but  beautifully  laid-out  garden,  and  a  series  of  conserva- 
tories. There  is  a  theatre  which  is  an  entirely  inclosed 
building.  And  there  is  a  stage  for  out-door  theatrical  per- 
formances ;  that  is  to  say,  one  of  the  stages  is  located  at  the 


3o6  NORTHERN   EUROPE. 

foot  of  a  gradually  sloping  hill,  so  that  an  immense  audience 
can  gather  round  in  front  of  it  and  enjoy  a  good  view  of  the 
performance. 

There  is  a  central  railed  inclosure  for  tight-rope  perform- 
ances, balloon  ascensions,  bicycle  races,  etc.     Every  after- 
noon during  the  summer  season,  four  or  five  balloon-figures 
are  sent  up  from  this  point, — causing  extreme  delight  on  the 
part  of  the  assembled  multitudes  of  children.    There  is  a  lake, 
fully  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  length,  in  which  boat-rides  can  be 
had  for  a  nominal  sum ;  the  width  of  the  siu-face  of  the  navigable 
water  varying  from  twenty  to  thirty  feet.     There  is  also  a 
meny-go-roimd  for  children ;  the  tossing  ships  on  which  are 
moved  by  steam,  to  the  usual  accompaniment  of  an  execrable 
hand-organ.     There  is  no  charge  for  the  enjoyment  of  this 
ti'ip,   and  the   crowds   of  boys  and   girls   that  are  put  in  line 
under  the  courteous  and  very  cautious  and  watchful  superin- 
tendence of  the  officers  of  the  garden, — waiting  in  turn  for 
the  privilege  of  a  ride, — are  worth  the  price  of  admission  to 
see.     Here,  also,  is  the  original  lightning-grade,  dash-around 
railroad, — now  so  extensively  copied  in  the  United  States. 
There   are  over  4500  gas-lights,  circled  with  various-colored 
globes,  in  and  upon  the  buildings,  and  around  and  over  the 
arches   at   the   Tivoli    Gardens.     When   the  illumination  is 
entire,  the  effect,  as  may  well  be  imagined,  is  very  beautiful. 
On  the  second  night  after  our  arrival,  and  on  tlie  occasion  of 
a  benefit  for  some  charitable  establishment,  there  was  such 
an  illumination,  with  befitting  accompaniments  of  perrorm- 
ances.     All  the  music  stands  were  occupied,  both  theatres 
were  running,  and  balloons  and  fireworks  were  sent  up  from 
the  central  platfomi.     It  was  a  scene  of  enchantment.     The 
long,  winding  lake  bore  upon  its  breast  a  tliousand  lamps, 
and  at  every  prominent  point,  and  at  many  unexpected  turns 
for  observation    in  the  grounds,  revolving  lights,  with  most 
brilliant  playing-glass  and  phosphorescent  effects,  were  dis- 
played.    The  music,  on  this  occasion,  to  which  we  listened, 
Avas  not  only  exquisite  in  point  of  execution,  but  was  well 
calculated  to  mingle  with  our  other  sentiments  the  thought 
and  love  of  home.     For,  again,  the  old  familiar  tunes, — made 
familiar  by  the  frequent  operatic  representations  to  which  we 


COPENHAGEN.  307 

have  neretofore  alluded, — were  interspersed  with  the  classical 
pieces  that  found  most  favor  in  this  cultivated  community  ; 
and  at  the  open-air  theatre  we  witnessed  the  performance  of 
athletes  whom  we  remembered  as  contributing  towards  the 
entertainments  in  our  own  California  theatres  several  years 
ago. 

The  colossal  gold-bronze  statue  of  Hans  Christian  Ander- 
sen— the  incomparable  fairy-story  teller— is  surrounded  all 
day  by  groups  of  admiring  women  and  children. 

In  one  of  our  evening  walks  we  passed  through  the  ancient 
gate  which  was  constructed  in  1664,  and  visited  the  barracks 
tliat  are  situated  just  outside.  Here,  in  Denmark,  in  a  nation 
of  2,000,000  of  people,  there  are  65,000  soldiers, — many 
thousands  more  than  are  required  for  the  maintenance  of 
peace  and  good  order  in  the  United  States  of  America. 
Here  are  barracks  and  other  buildings  connected  with  the 
great  military  establishment,  which  in  the  point  of  accommo- 
dation for  numbers  and  magnitude  of  warehouse  room, 
probably  equal  all  the  facilities  possessed  by  our  nation  at 
the  largest  rendezvous. 

And  here  were  companies  of  soldiers,  in  a  hollow  square, 
listening  to  the  catechising  questions,  and  the  oft-repeated 
instructions  of  a  petty  officer.  We  stood  and  listened.  It 
chanced  that  we  heard  the  fundamental  inquiry  : — "  What  is 
the  first  duty  of  a  soldier  ?  "  And  then  the  questioning  went 
on,  as  to  the  extreme  to  which  obedience  must  go  : — to  the  put- 
ting of  one's  hand  into  fire,  at  the  command  of  an  officer,  etc.,  _ 
etc.  The  "Yah,  yah"  of  the  officer,  with  which  he  greeted  a 
correct  or  satisfactory  reply,  sounded  very  coarse  and  harsh, 
as  compared  with  the  softer  pronunciation  of  the  same  word 
by  our  Swedish  friends.  But  somebody  said  there  was  a 
military  hoarseness  which  was  appropriate  to  the  occasion. 

We  tried  to  look  into  a  long  hall  v/here  fifty  men,  with  wire 
gauze  head-coverings,  were  engaged  in  bayonet  and  sword 
practice ;  but  were  politely  warned  off  from  the  sidewalk  ad- 
jacent to  the  door  of  this  building,  by  a  little  unarmed  senti- 
nel. We  apologized :  and  he  said  that  he  was  sorry,  very 
sorry,  but  he  had  his  orders.  \\'e  said  that  we  were  grateful 
to  him  for  his  courtesy,  and  thankful  that  we  were  not  made 


3o8  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

the  objects  of  any  warlike  demonstration,  on  account  of  our 
intrusion.  He  said  :— "  Not  at  all ;  only  too  glad  ;  but  don't 
come  again," 

Here  we  first  see,  and  have  the  pleasure  of  riding  in  the 
two-story  omnibuses  which,  we  are  told,  are  to  be  found  in  all 
the  other  cities  on  the  Continent.  And  it  naturally  enough 
sets  us  to  wondering  why  similar  accommodations  are  not 
provided  on  the  horse-car  lines  through  the  level  streets  of 
New  York  and  San  Francisco?  For  really,  in  anything  like 
pleasant  weather,  the  upper  seats  are  preferable ;  although  in 
Copenhagen  there  is  an  extra  charge  for  riding  below. 

The  postal  arrangements  of  Copenhagen  need  a  little  ref- 
ormation. Here  there  is  one  set  of  wall  chests  for  the  recep- 
tion of  letters  destined  for  the  city,  and  another  for  country 
and  foreign  despatch ;  and  every  stranger  is  almost  sure  to 
make  a  mistake, — which  is  apt  to  be  fatal  to  the  entrusted 
correspondence,  in  the  selection  or  application  of  his  stamps, 
and  the  depositing  of  some  of  his  letters.  It  is  difficult  to 
understand  why,  in  a  city  that  is  frequented  by  so  many  visi- 
tors, who  are  entirely  ignorant  of  the  language,  or  understand 
it  but  imperfectly,  this  miserable  and  ridiculous  distinction  in 
boxes  should  be  made.  If  you  put  a  local  or  city  stamp  upon 
a  letter,  it  is  not  sent  out  of  the  kingdom.  And  if  you  put  a 
sufficiently  and  properly  stamped  letter  addressed  to  a  person 
without  the  kingdom,  in  one  of  the  local  boxes,  it  is  almost 
certain  that  it  will  be  delayed  twent}^-four  hours.  But  here, 
as  elsewhere,  throughout  the  civilized  globe,  save  on  our 
North  American  Continent,  you  can  send  a  twenty-word  tele- 
graphic dispatch  from  one  end  of  the  nation  to  the  other  for 
25  cents. 

We  realize  that  we  are  approaching  English  and  American 
borders  when  we  enter  a  barber's  shop.  There  is  less  divi- 
sion of  the  duties  of  the  attendants ;  and  here  and  there  we 
observe  on  the  signs  of  the  hair-cutting  establishments  a  no- 
tice that  some  one  within  speaks  the  English  language,  and 
can  attend  to  patrons  on  the  English  or  American  plan.  The 
great  business  street  of  this  city  is  known  as  Oster  Street,  and 
some  of  the  shops  are  very  large  and  elegant.  There  is  a 
larger  proportion  of  clerks  of  the  masculine  gender  than  in 


COPENHAGEN. 


309 


the  Swedish  establishments  of  a  similar  character.  And  in 
the  city  and  vicinity  we  also  remarked  the  fact  that  there  is 
less  labor,  proportionately,  performed  by  women  in  the  shops 
and  in  the  streets  and  in  the  fields,  than  in  the  more  northern 
cities.  We  are  also  reminded  of  our  separation  from  our 
Swedish  friends  and  their  jurisdiction,  by  the  difference  in 
the  cooking,  and  more  especially  by  the  difference,  on  the 
downward  road,  between  the  bread  and  the  coffee  that  was 
and  that  is. 

Most  of  the  steeples  and  towers  in  Copenhagen,  and  many 
of  the  roofs  of  private  edifices,  are  covered  with  copper,  and 
when  they  are  viewed  from  any  eminence,  they  present  a 
striking  and  curious  contrast  with  the  adjacent  rows  of  vari- 
colored tiles. 

Copenhagen  is  situated  at  such  a  low  level  that  it  is  very 
evident  that  naturally  it  would  be  subjected  to  epidemics  on 
account  of  lack  of  sewerage,  if  the  greatest  care  was  not  taken 
to  clean  out  the  rubbish  and  the  refuse.  During  all  the  morn- 
ing hours  the  great  rattle  of  the  dust-man,  as  he  makes  his 
way  through  the  streets,  seems,  to  the  stranger,  to  come  from 
every  direction,  and  it  is  interesting  to  note  the  scrupulous 
care  with  which  the  police  regulations  respecting  cleanliness 
are  observed.  Every  particle  of  paper,  as  well  as  every  scrap 
of  dirt  in  the  literal  sense,  that  can  be  gathered  from  the 
pavements  without,  or  the  yard-floors  within,  is  put  into  a  bas- 
ket or  barrel,  by  the  landlord  or  tenant,  and  set  on  the  curb- 
stone— so  soon  as,  and  not  before  the  cart  of  the  clattering 
scavengers  arrives  at  the  line  of  a  given  block. 

There  are  no  less  than  9,000  vessels  entering  and  passing 
out  from  the  harbor  during  the  year  1884.  Steamers  of  2,000 
tons  burden  and  upward  run  regularly  hence  to  London. 
There  is  direct  steam  connection  with  every  large  Swedish, 
Norwegian,  German,  Belgian,  and  British  seaport.  Evidence 
is  given  on  every  hand  of  prosperity  in  fair  degree,  for  mer- 
chant and  mechanic  and  laborer ;  and  the  people  here  have 
all  the  appearance  of  contentedness  which  we  observed  in 
the  capital  of  Sweden.  Here  there  is  fully  as  much  general 
interest  expressed  to  learn  the  condition  of  affairs  in  America, 
but  not  in  one  case  out  of  ten  do  we  find  among  our  new- 


3IO  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

made  acquaintances  a  disposition  or  thought  of  emigrating  to 
the  United  States.  In  this  respect  there  is  indeed  a  marked 
difference  from  the  prevaihng  sentiment  and  desire  on  the 
other  side  of  the  Sound. 

Yesterday  morning  we  observed  a  large  crowd  collected  in 
front  of  the  Hotel  D'Angleterre,  and  although  that  point  was 
on  our  line  of  regular  promenade,  we  made  haste  to  learn 
what  attracted  such  a  multitude.  We  arrived  at  the  front  of 
the  court-yard  gate  in  time  to  see  the  Princess  of  \N'ales, 
seated  beside  her  brother  in  an  open  carriage.  She  was 
greeted  by  a  general  hat-doffing  and  occasional  bows  from 
those  who  may  be  presumed  to  have  had  some  personal 
acquaintance  with  some  distant  relative  of  hers,  but  there 
was  no  cheering.  She  was  dressed  in  an  olive-green  suit, 
with  a  flat-backed  bonnet  that  ran  up  to  a  point  in  a  mitre 
shape.  She  bowed  graciously  on  either  hand,  as  her  team 
was  driven  through  the  lines  of  the  waiting  populace,  along 
the  centre  of  the  Square,  and  thence  down  the  Bredgade  to 
the  military  headquarters. 

We  heard  that  there  was  to  be  a  family  gathering  of  the 
children  and  other  near  relatives  of  the  Danish  Monarch, 
within  a  few  days,  and  that  the  Princess  of  Wales  was  here, 
in  advance  of  all  other  royal  comers,  as  an  elder  child  should 
be,  to  officiate  as  one  of  the  royal  home-welcoming  party. 


XXIV. 

FROM    COPENHAGEN   TO    STETTIN. 

In  the  little  steamer  Ujfo.,  at  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
we  take  our  departure  from  Copenhagen  for  Stettin  ;  leaving  at 
a  wharf  about  400  feet  north  of  the  landing-i^lace  for  the  Malmo 
Steamers.  Our  vessel  is  between  40  and  50  tons  burden,  and 
its  arrangement  so  suggests  the  space-economy  of  the  canal- 
boats  of  Sweden,  that  we  are  not  surprised  to  learn  that  its 
regular  trip  is  from  Gothenberg  to  the  German  coast,  touch- 
ing  at  the  capital  of   Denmark.     The  accommodations  are 


FROM    COPENHAGEN    TO    STETTIN.  311 

excellent,  and  the  fare  for  first-class  passage  is  about  a  cent 
a  mile. 

The  steamer  moves  up  and  out  of  the  little  narrow  strait 
which  divides  the  mainland  from  the  island  of  Amager,  and 
swinging  round  the  lighthouse,  gradually  heads  down  towards 
the  lower  end  of  the  Baltic  Sea,  getting  fairly  out  into  the 
tossing  billows  at  about  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening. 

The  objective  point,  as  we  are  informed,  is  Cape  Arcona, 
which  is  to  be  sighted  at  one  o'clock  in  the  morning.  "Will 
we  sit  up  and  watch  for  the  lighthouse  ?  "  The  officer  would 
be  much  pleased  to  have  our  company.  We  will  not  sit  up. 
The  waves  already  lift  and  fall  in  a  most  exasperating  and 
withal  prophetic  manner.  We  will  take  a  recumbent  posi- 
tion, and  we  are  glad  that  the  liveliest  portion  of  this  trip  is 
made  in  the  night  season. 

'i^he  Stewardess  wishes  to  know  if  we  will  change  from  the 
cabin  assigned  to  us,  and  take  the  largest  one,  in  company 
with  a  number  of  children  who  are  going  on  a  school  excur- 
sion trip  ?  We  are  glad  to  agree  to  this  proposition  ;  for  by 
this  new  location  we  obtain  a  great  deal  of  valuable  informa- 
tion with  regard  to  localities,  etc.,  from  the  free  chat  of  the 
little  ones.  And  this  is  to  be  noted :  During  the  school 
vacations  every  school  child  is  entitled  to  ride  free  upon  all 
public  conveyances  in  Denmark,  going  into  or  out  of  the 
Capital,  or  going  short  distances  out  of  the  Kingdom. 

At  four  o'clock  in  the  morning  we  were  aroused  by  the 
sudden  stopping  of  the  machinery,  and,  looking  out  of  the 
cabin  window,  we  saw  on  our  left  a  tall  lighthouse  surmounted 
by  a  fixed  and  brilliantly  scarlet  light,  situated  near  the  end 
of  a  long  narrow  peninsula.  On  the  other  side,  as  we  soon 
discovered,  was  an  island  on  which  was  located  an  Arsenal 
and  a  custom  house,  and  adjacent  thereto  a  town  of  consid- 
erable size.  Slowly  the  little  steamer  pushed  its  nose  up  the 
contracted  and  shallow  channel.  We  are  navigating  Swine 
Strait ;  and  there  is  a  desperate  attempt  on  the  part  of  some 
of  our  fellow  passengers  to  be  witty  or,  as  they  perchance 
imagine,  aggravating,  by  indulging  in  the  audible  suggestion 
— in  proximity  to  our  party — that  no  American  pork  can 
come  through  this  channel.     We  stopped  about  midway  in 


3^2 


NORTHERN   EUROPE. 


this  strait,  which  lies  between  the  Baltic  and  Kleines  Grosses 
Hoff, — at  the  frontier  District  Capital  that  bears  the  name  of 
Svvinemiinde. 

Here  were  a  number  of  custom-house  officers  in  waiting — 
seven  or  eight  in  all ;  and  of  this  number  we  took  at  least 
four  distinguished  looking  personages  on  board.  They  wore 
tall  caps,  with  three  red  tape  lines  round  about  them,  about 
equi-distant  on  an  entire  ascent  of  five  or  six  inches.  Their 
dress  otherwise  had  what  appeared  to  us  a  Polish  cut ;  their 
coats  being  long,  and  flowing  from  the  waist.  When  we 
inquired  of  some  of  our  new-made  German  acquaintances, 
why  so  large  a  representation  of  the  German  custom-house 
force  took  their  place  on  our  little  deck  and  really  incon- 
venienced us  by  their  presence,  we  were  jocosely  told  that 
the  Kaiser  had  grown  suspicious  of  American  visitors  since 
the  disclosure  of  the  dynamite  plots  in  London.  Thereupon 
we  acquiesced  in  the  reasonableness  of  this  apprehension, 
and  I  noticed  that  some  of  our  company  assumed  a  very 
grave  and  important,  not  to  say  a  mischievous,  air  when  they 
chanced  to  come  face  to  face  with  one  of  the  outlying  mes- 
sengers of  the  Berlin  Government. 

From  this  capital  of  Usedom  the  vessel  turned  to  the  left, 
and  soon  entered  what  we  should  have  supposed  to  be  an 
artificial  water-way  if  we  had  not  been  explicitly  told  to  the 
contrary.  On  this  point  of  our  passage  we  met  a  large  num- 
ber of  boats  capable  of  carrying  a  full  half  ton,  which  were 
loaded  with  vegetables,  and  which  were  rowed  entirely  by 
women.  Sometimes  there  were  as  many  as  twelve  oars  to 
the  boat. 

Now,  on  our  right  there  are  a  number  of  cultivated  forests, 
as  they  are  called — wood  growths  from  saplings  that  have 
been  regularly  planted  on  the  low  levels  where  there  were 
never  forests  before.  It  is  said  that  in  fifteen  years  from 
transplanting  date,  these  trees  are  of  sufficient  magnitude  to 
answer  the  purposes  to  which  they  will  be  appropriated. 
When  we  expressed  doubt  as  to  this  alleged  rapid  maturing, 
we  were  told  by  one  of  the  tide-waiters,  to  wait  and  see  !  (No 
heavy  German  about  him ;  on  the  contrary,  quite  sprightly.) 

Near  the  mouth  of  this  strait,  a  great  work  of  dredging  and 


FROM    COPENHAGEN    TO    STETTIN.  313 

break-water  construction  is  going  on ;  and  our  boat  arrives 
at  this  point  just  in  time  to  afford  us  a  sight  of  a  small  army 
of  laborers  in  procession  on  the  line  of  the  embankments — 
marching  to  the  places  where  their  fourteen  hours  of  labor  is 
to  be  applied,  ^\'e  remarked  that  there  appeared  to  be  very 
little  sociability  among  these  workmen;  but  we  were  told 
that  the  principal  cause  for  this,  probably,  was  the  fact  that 
they  were  recently  brought  together,  and  had  not  as  yet  had 
sufficient  time  to  make  intimate  acquaintance. 

It  takes  two  hours  to  cross  the  little  inland  sea  known  as 
Grasses  Hoff  and  reach  the  town  of  Pollitz.  Thence  it  is 
half-an-hour's  ride  to  the  city  of  Stettin.  On  our  route  along 
the  Oder,  as  we  proceeded  from  Pollitz,  v/e  passed,  to  our 
right,  four  or  five  beer  gardens,  neatly  and  tastefully  laid  out 
and  arranged,  whose  proprietors  obviously  enjoyed  a  large 
patronage.  A  great  number  of  servants  were  at  work  clean- 
ing up  the  grounds,  washing  the  tables,  etc.,  indicating  in 
each  instance  that  there  was  a  big  attendance  of  patrons  on 
the  previous  evening. 

We  met  four  small  passenger  excursion  boats  of  peculiar 
pattern,  heavily  loaded  down  with  passengers.  These  boats 
were  about  sixty  feet  in  length  by  twelve  or  fifteen  feet  in 
width,  having  a  double  deck  with  an  awning  stretched  over 
the  upper  floor.  The  locomotion  is  by  a  screw,  but  the 
speed  is  not  near  so  rapid  as  that  of  the  little  lake  cutters  of 
Stockholm.  They  do  have,  in  fact,  the  appearance  of  old- 
fashioned  stage-coaches  put  into  ship-shape, — as  you  might 
say.  All  the  little  children  on  board  the  Uffo  joined  at  once 
in  a  chorus  of  exclamations  of  delight,  when  these  small  puff- 
ing boats  came  in  sight  and  passed  us  by.  One  of  the  little 
girls  on  board  forcibly  suggested  the  idea  of  toy-construc- 
tion, by  expressing  the  wish  that  she  had  one  of  these  little 
vessels  for  her  own  special  amusement.  Here,  also,  we  met 
scores  of  long  canoe-shaped  coal-boats,  over  one  hundred 
feet  in  length,  with  bows  reaching  up  from  fifteen  to  twenty 
feet. 

The  landing  at  Stettin  very  much  reminds  one  of  his  dis- 
embarking at  Copenhagen  ;  and  there  is  the  same  good- 
natured  pretence  of   custom-house  inspection.      This   latter 


,14  NORTHERN' EUROPE. 

surprises  us.  After  a  custodianship,  lasting  four  or  five 
hours — under  tlie  immediate  inspection  of  four  or  five  tall 
and  stalwart  custom-bouse  officers  from  the  coast— is  this  the 
frivolous  pretense  of  an  examination  which  our  luggage  must 
undergo  ?  While  we  had  not  been  wholly  deceived  by  the 
remarks  of  our  German  friends,  which  we  have  before  quoted, 
while  in  point  of  fact  we  took  them  in  proper  jocose  phase 
and  interest,  as  already  indicated,  we  were  led  to  expect  from 
our  personal  surrounding,  that  here  there  was  to  be  a  sifting 
of  our  little  luggage,  fore  and  aft — in  obedience  to  a  general 
rule  of  authority  and  caution.  We  saw  but  one  trunk  opened  ; 
and  as  to  that  the  owner  had  loudly  "declared"  that  he  had 
a  box  of  fragrant  Havannas.  The  case  he  confessed  was 
conspicuously  placed  in  the  top  frame,  but  the  officers  chose 
to  dive  a  little  deeper  ;  and  they  brought  up  four  or  five 
packages  of  the  dutiable  article— much  to  the  amazement  of 
the  candid  gentleman  from  Verona.  It  is  strange  how  petty* 
smuggling  everywhere  seems  to  prevail  most  in  the  tobacco 
line. 

Stettin  is  the  Capital  of  the  Province  of  Pomerania.  The 
governor's  build'ing  is  a  new  and  elegant  structure,  from  the 
windows  of  which  there  is  a  magnificent  view  over  the  water 
and  the  plains  which  surround  the  city.  The  population  is 
reported  to  be  81,000 ;  but  here,  as  at  Gothenberg,  we  are  at 
a  loss  to  understand  how  so  great  a  number  of  inhabitants 
can  find  a  comfortable  domicile  within  such  a  limited  builded 
district.  We  are  told  that  there  is  no  crowding,  and  that  the 
French  system  of  residing  in  flats,  which  is  here  largely 
adopted,  enables  a  very  great  number  of  people  to  live,  with 
ample  elbow-room,  in  one  tall  edifice. 

The  Province  of  which  Stettin  is  the  capital  at  one  time 
belonged  to  Sweden,  and  it  has  given  its  name  to  a  pungent 
appetizing  drink  which  is  to  be  found  on  every  "  Smorgas- 
bord "  in  Scandinavia ;  although,  in  point  of  fact,  the  liquor 
is  no  longer  manufactured  in  this  district  for  exportation  to 
Sweden  and  Denmark. 

Here  there  are  a  large  number  of  manufacturing  establish- 
ments, including  great  beet-sugar  refining  houses.  There  is 
some  ship-building  and  sewing-machine  manufacturing,  and 


FROM    COPENHAGEN    TO    S'lETTIN. 


3^5 


KX^. 


3i6  NORTHERN   EUROPE. 

there  is  now  and  then  an  unmistakable  flavor  of  chemical 
laboratories,  as  we  pass  along  the  suburbs  on  the  headlands. 
At  several  turns  made  by  our  coachman,  we  were  brought 
upon  eminences  which  afforded  us  excellent  views  of  the  sur- 
rounding country,  and  so  presented  the  landscape  as  to  make 
it  at  first  glance  appear  an  entirely  new  picture  : — appearing 
as  if  it  did  not  embrace  many  or  any  of  the  features  which 
belonged  to  the  preceding  view, — although,  of  course,  in  point 
of  fact,  it  must  have  done  so. 


XXV. 
A  GLANCE  AT  BERLIN. 

From  Stettin  to  Berlin  is  a  distance  of  eighty-three  miles, 
which  the  express  trains  run  in  two  hours  and  a  half.  The 
fare  is  ten  marks,  or  a  little  under  three  dollars.  The  accom- 
modations for  this  money  are  in  all  respects  equal  to,  and  in 
some  particulars  better  than  that  furnished  by. our  poor  Cen- 
tral Pacific  Railroad  proprietors,  who  have  been  charging  as 
much  as  seven  cents  per  mile  for  inferior  facilities. 

We  were  fortunate  enough  to  have  for  our  companion,  in  this 
passage  to  Berlin,  the  daughter  of  a  Chief  Councillor  and  ex- 
officio  Keeper  of  the  Royal  Garden  at  Potsdam.  She  was  a 
young  lady,  about  twenty  years  Of  age,  and  gave  evidence  of 
great  culture  and  refinement.  She  spoke  four  different  lan- 
guages, exclusive  of  English,  which,  she  said,  she  was  only  just 
beginning  to  learn.  But  we  found  that  she  knew  more  of  our 
own  native  vernacular  than  the  great  majority  of  those  in  this 
nation  who  profess  to  be  proficient  in  the  use  of  the  English 
tongue.  Our  lady  friend  was  very  glad  to  meet  us,  and  gave 
us  a  cordial  invitation  to  visit  the  Royal  Gardens  at  Potsdam. 
While  we  were  hunting  in  the  gmde-book  for  a  map  of  the 
route  between  the  two  cities  that  we  were  spanning,  she  drew 
our  attention  to  a  card  that  is  placed  in  every  compartment 
on  the  German  railways  (a  most  excellent  idea)  on  which  the 
route— together  with  the  names  of  the  important  stations— is 
indicated. 


A   GLANCE  AT  BERLIN.  317 

There  are  nine  railway  stations  in  this  city  of  1,200,000 
inhabitants,  but  at  each  one  of  them  there  are  the  same  regu- 
lations with  respect  to  city  transportation.  And,  while  we 
may  regret  that  there  is  not  a  central  house,  and  may  boast  of 
our  great  New  York  and  Chicago  depots,  where  many  railway 
companies  unite  in  side-tracking  their  trains,  we  ought  to  rec- 
ommend the  method  by  which'  the  traveler  is  introduced  here 
to  his  particular  cab-driver.  There  is  what  is  called  a  con- 
troUeur,  at  the  main  door  of  every  railroad  station,  who  gives 
the  newly  arrived  passenger  a  metal  ticket  with  the  number  of 
a  cab  upon  it ;  the  kind  of  vehicle,  whether  first-class  or  sec- 
ond-class, or  luggage-cab,  being  first  inquired  about  and  des- 
ignated. Then  the  passenger  selects  a  porter,  who  takes  your 
ticket  and  your  baggage  checks,  and  "consigns  you  alto- 
gether "  to  your  proper  vehicle.  The  ticket  is  not  given  to 
the  driver  until  the  seats  are  occupied.  There  is,  of  course, 
a  specified  rate  of  fare  for  cab  transportation ;  and  this  is  not 
only  conspicuously  posted  up,  but  you  are  told  by  the  station 
porter  what  your  fare  will  be.  \\'hen  you  arrive  at  your 
hotel  the  portier  there  inquires  as  to  what  station  you 
come  from  ;  and  again  you  are  informed  how  much  you  ought 
to  pay. , 

The  Kaiserhoff,  at  which  we  stayed  during  our  sojourn  in 
Berlin,  is  a  large  building  of  nearly,  if  not  fully,  the  size,  in 
ground  dimensions,  of  the  Palace  Hotel,  San  Francisco — 'a 
standard  building  for  measurement  and  comparison,  it  will  be 
perceived .?) — lacking,  however,  one  story  in  height,  in  com- 
parison with  our  great  San  Francisco  tavern.  It  occupies  one 
entire  block  and  is  supplied  with  all  modern  conveniences, 
including  a  "  lift,"  or,  as  we  would  call  it,  an  elevator,  which 
runs  up  and  down  semi-occasionally  at  the  rate  of  about  two 
miles  an  hour. 

The  rooms  which  look  into  a  covered  court,  on  the  ground 
of  which  a  line  of  restaurant  tables  is  set,  should  be  avoided, 
as  Baedecker  suggests,  by  travelers,  who  desire  to  do  any 
substantial  sleeping  during  their  stay ;  for  the  clatter  of  the 
platters,  rising  with  increasing  volume  of  reverberating  echo,  is 
worse,  as  a  disturbing  racket,  than  than  would  be  the  ham- 
mering of  a  closely  adjacent  boiler  factory.     As  we  were 


3^8 


NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


located  in  outer  apartments,  I  speak  of  this  matter  only  as 
something  brought  to  my  commiserating  attention. 

Here  you  pay  five  or  eight  marks  for  rooms  of  a  descrip- 
tion, in  location  and  furnishing,  equal  to  those  that  you  would 
be  required  to  pay  fully  twice  as  much  for  in  New  York,  or  in 
any  other  one  of  the  principal  cities  on  our  American  border. 

Here,  as  at  every  other  large  hotel  in  this  Capital,  there  is 
a  porticr  and  a  set  of  waiters  who  profess  to  be  able  to  speak 
fluently  in  the  English  tongue.     They  have,  as  a  rule, 


ac- 


KAISERHOFF,    BERLIN. 

quired  the  smattering  of  our  language,  which  they  possess,  by 
virtue  of  a  few  months'  sojourn  in  Great  Britain — having  been 
domiciled  there  for  such  a  length  of  time,  as  servants  in  some 
gentleman's  establishment.  In  their  anxiety  to  get  the  extra 
wages  given  to  English-speaking  attendants  on  the  Continent, 
they  take  their  departure  from  the  British  Isles  at  much  too' 
early  a  date.  It  is  not  only  because  their  stock  of  words  is 
limited,  that  we  complain — not  so  much  that ;  but  they  possess 
that  sort  of  education  which  enables  them,  in  four  instances 
out  of  five,  to  absolutely  misinform  and  misdirect.     Some  of 


A   GLANCE  A  T  BERLIN. 


^"^9 


them  are  shrewd  enough  to  impose  considerably  upon  a  good- 
natured  EngHsh  patron,  and  more  especially  upon  the  pro- 
verbially amiable  American  traveller,  by  cross-examining  him, 
on  every  available  occasion,  with  respect  to  the  meaning  of 
this  or  that  word,  concerning  which  some  dispute  naturally 
arises.  The  amount  of  gratuitous  instruction  which  I  have 
given  to  some  of  these  flunkeys  would  aggregate  a  whole 
series  of  conscientious  lessons  in  short-hand;  and  I  have  been 
casting  about  in  despair  to  know  how  I  am  to  get  even  with 
the  German  nation  on  account  of  this  enforced  pedagogic 
labor. 

No  more  patronage  for  a  Berlin  shop  by  any  of  our  little 
company,  when  there  is  a  staring  sign  in  the  window  that 
says,  "  English  spoken  here."  Talk  about  English  and  Amer- 
ican pretenders,  who  assert  that  they  possess  a  fair  degree  of 
acquaintance  with  the  German  tongue !  There  is  no  sufficient 
ground  for  comparison  with  the  frauds  who  will  stand  behind 
the  counter  in  the  capital  city  of  the  Kaiser  and  deliberately 
and  audaciously  shout  "  Yah,  yah !"  when  you  meekly  inquire 
if  English  is  spoken  in  this  particular  establishment.  I  will 
give  one  fair  lady  shopkeeper  the  credit  which  is  due  to  her 
for  her  reply  in  German,  when  this  question  was  put  to  her  in 
English  by  a  stranger  from  Yankee-land,  "  Is  English  spoken 
here  ?  "  '•  Yah."  "  By  whom  is  it  spoken  here  t  "  "  Princi- 
pally by  strangers." 

Well,  Berlin  is  a  beautiful  city ;  with  most  of  the  streets 
laid  out  at  right  angles — so  suggestive  of  most  of  the  great 
cities  in  our  dear  land — and  with  most  of  the  buildings  on 
the  principal  highways  of  modern  construction,  with  elegant 
fronts  and  in  every  way  pleasing  interiors.  There  is  no 
institution  or  point  of  interest  designated  by  the  Guide 
Manuals,  as  located  in  Berlin,  which  is  not  well  worth  the 
seeing  and  the  examination.  It  is  not  so  elsewhere ;  we 
should  have  said  quite  to  the  contrary  with  respect  to  all 
other  cities ;  and  we  would  advise  consultation  with  local 
guides  before  you  map  out  your  city's  trips  in  many  other 
places.  But  here  the  galleries  and  the  museums  and  the 
monuments  appear  to  us  to  be  better  than  they  are  described 
in  the  letter-press  of  our  chosen  companions. 


320 


NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


Only  in  one  thing  were  we  disappointed,  and  that  was  with 
respect  to  the  Linden  Avenue.  If  you  carefully  examine  the 
measurements  given  in  the  guide-books  of  travel,  of  course 
you  will  be  informed  as  to  the  length  and  width ;  but  the 
general  impression  that  Americans  have  as  to  the  size  and 
beauty  of  this  avenue  and  its  adornment  at  either  end,  con- 
siderably exceeds  what  you  will  realize  on  absolute  personal 
observation. 

One  of  the  great  sights  of  Berlin,  certainly,  is  a  beer  gar- 
den on  a  holiday  or  at  twilight,  or  at  any  time,  during  fair 
weather — in  "the  season" — in  the  evening  hours  from  six  to 
twelve.  Such  immense  crowds  of  good-natured,  and  withal, 
industrious  people  !  Here  \s  pater  famiiias,  with  his  book  or 
his  paper,  and,  of  course,  with  his  pipe  and  his  mug.  And 
here  is  mother  and  grandmother  and  little  children,  all 
nimbly  at  work  knitting  or  crocheting  or  embroidering. 
What  a  race  of  working  people  !  And  how  orderly  !  What 
excellent  deportment !  Why,  there  is  rarely  any  loud  talk- 
ing, even  in  the  sense  of  noisiness  ;  and  not  a  sign  of  intoxi- 
cation did  we  see  in  Berlin  during  our  sojourn. 

The  great  Blondin  is  advertised  to  walk  the  rope  at  the 
New  World  Promenade  Grounds.  We  are  in  attendance. 
The  great  Blondin  himself  stands  near  the  outer  gate  and 
distributes  the  programmes ;  answering  the  inquiry  as  to  the 
price  by  "What  you  will;  what  you  will!"  The  great  Blon- 
din ascends  to  his  lofty^  perch  precisely  at  the  appointed  hour ; 
the  beginning  of  his  ride  up  the  inclined  rope  on  his  saddled 
eagle  being  announced  by  the  sound  of  a  cannon.  There  is 
but  one  Blondin !  All  others  are  wretched  imitators.  jNIay 
he  "walk  his  chalk" — as  a  German  advertisement  wittily 
expresses  it— for  another  decade!  for  we  shall  not  see  his 
like  again. 

Here,  at  the  New  World  Garden,  is  a  locomotive,  driven 
by  an  electrical  engine,  and  the  patronage  that  is  given  to  the 
cars  on  this  little  circular  tramway,  on  every  trip,  is  lucrative 
to  the  last  possibility  of  a  foothold. 

Of  course  you  meet  soldiers  at  every  corner.  They  are,  to 
our  American  judgment  and  disposition,  altogether  too  plen- 
tiful.    They  suggest  the  great  unrest  of  Europe.     They  com- 


A    GLANCE    AT   BERLIN.  321 

pel  us  to  wonder  where  the  civilians  will  be  when  another 
half  million  is  added  to  the  standing  army — as  is  already 
proposed.  But  the  uniforms  are  very  handsome ;  and  they 
who  wear  them  are  very  courteous.  Generally  they  are  veiy 
good-looking  and  in  every  merely  personal  respect  pleasant  to 
behold — these  soldiers  of  Germany.  But  it  is  a  heart-felt 
expression  of  gratitude,  when  we  detect  ourselves  thanking 
God  that  we  live  in  a  nation  of  fifty  millions  of  people  which 
does  not  need  to  put  a  large  minority  of  the  population  in 
permanent  military  training  quarters. 

The  office  of  the  American  Minister  is  directly  opposite 
The  Kaiserhoff.  He  is  not  "in  residence"  at  the  date  of 
our  visit — being  reported  to  callers  as  sojourning  in  Paris. 
His  suite  of  rooms,  for  business  purposes,  is  appropriately 
and  elegantly  furnished,  and  his  secretaries  exceedingly 
courteous  and  obliging.  We  learn  that  Bayard  Taylor  was 
thoroughly  appreciated  as  a  master  narrator  of  travels  and  a 
charming  poet,  by  the  literati  at  the  German  capital ;  but  in 
general  popularity  it  appeared  that  he  had  no  advantage  or 
precedence  over  Mr.  Sargeant.  However  much  the  latter 
may  have  provoked  the  official  displeasure  of  Prince  Bismarck, 
it  was  evident  that  he  \,  .s  held  in  high  personal  esteem 
by  all  with  whom  he  here  came  into  political  or  social 
relations. 

Just  before  reaching  Unter  de  Linden — with  which  my 
readers  will  be  presumed  to  have  a  general  knowledge— the 
great  historic  Frederick  street  suddenly  takes  a  switch-angle 
to  the  north  through  one  block  of  three  hundred  feet;  having 
a  glass  roof  over  the  enclosed  side  street,  which  is  about 
twenty  feet  wide,  and  which  is  called  the  Kaiser  Gallarie. 
The  shops  on  either  side  are  mostly  small,  largely  devoted  to 
the  sale  of  porcelain  and  bronze  articles  and  furnishing 
goods.  In  the  matter  of  the  line  of  brass  and  bronze  pieces 
for  use  and  ornament  the  artisans  of  Berlin  and  vicinity  con- 
fessedly surpass  all  others.  Here  and  at  the  Architects' 
Union,  in  Wilhelm  street,  one  may  profitably,  and  in  a  con- 
dition of  entrancement  spend  hours,  as  did  we,  in  looking  at 
the  utensils,  furniture,  ornaments,  and  toys  of  the  unrivalled 
German  moulders,  carvers  and  glass-stainers.     We  tried  the 


322 


NORTHERN   EUROPE. 


famous  coffee  which  is  dealt  out  in  deep  glasses.  No  !  it 
will  not  bear  comparison  with  the  one  supreme  consumma- 
tion of  Scandinavia.  Of  course  it  is  infinitely  preferable  to 
what  many  London  inn  and  lunch-room  keepers  audaciously 
— I  was  going  to  say  atrociously — call  by  that  name  ;  but 
"  Weiner "  restaurants  in  America  give  their  customers  a 
vastly  superior  decoction  than  is  here  dispensed.  Perhaps 
you  will  be  inclined  by  this  time,  dear  reader,  to  suspect  that 
I  am  or  have  become  a  "coffeemaniast."  Not  so,  I  do  pro- 
test. This  matter  only  came  to  my  attention,  and  was 
emphasized  upon  my  notice,  in  the  common  course  of  events. 
I  do  declare,  that  on  this  I  write /w  bono. 

The  Weiner  establishment  is  entitled  to  the  word  "grand" 
— which  is  prefixed  to  it  on  sign-board  and  guide-book. 
The  fittings  up  outside  and  the  fittings  out  inside  are  resplen- 
dent with  mirrors  and  gilt  and  plush,  and  massive  with  mar- 
ble. It  is  another  sight  to  see — an  Aladdin's  palace  at  the 
head  of  the  Linden  avenue  side  of  the  street-divided  block. 
Railed  off  from  the  pathway,  but  in  an  open  space,  with 
tables  set  closely,  is  room  for  a  hundred  persons.  I  have  seen 
nearly  that  number  taking  refreshments  there  at  one  time. 
Within,  there  appears  to  be  space  duly  appropriated  and  set 
apart  on  the  second  floor  for  twice  that  number  of  guests. 
In  the  pleasant  season  many  stand  without — promenading, 
perhaps,  a  little  in  front  of  the  establishment — where  they 
wait  ready  to  take  the  first  vacancy  in  the  line  of  seats  or 
tables. 

Another  attractive  resort  under  the  archway  near  the  great 
avenue  is  the  wax-works  exhibition,  or  panopticum.  Not  so 
large  a  stock  as  Madame  Taussaud  &  Sons,  of  Baker  street, 
London,  but  in  some  respects  a  better  entertainment — so  to 
call  it.  The  rooms  are  most  conveniently  arranged,  and  the 
"  effects "  are  heightened  by  methods  that  are  novel  and 
fully  as  ingenious  as  any  to  be  seen  at  the  admittedly  greater 
collection  in  England.  A  series  of  halls  or  galleries,  with 
small,  intervening  rooms  or  vestibules,  have  been  converted 
into  exhibition  walks ;  and  it  is  a  process  of  initiation  that 
would  be  sufficiently  vivid  for  an  ancient  Knight  Tem])lar, 
that  is  experienced  in  passing  unwarned  along  the  prescribed 


A    GLANCE    AT   BERLIN.  323 

visitors'  route,  from  door  to  door.  Let  me  mention  a  few 
"items,"  as  you  may  overhear  them  called  by  one  of  the 
attendants. 

A  soldier  lies  on  an  ambulance  near  the  entrance.  He  is 
supposed  to  represent  a  dying  Zouave.  As  you  approach 
him  you  note  his  breathing,  and  mark  the  spot  where  the 
fatal  bullet  is  supposed  to  have  entered  his  breast.  This  is 
nothing  more  than  you'might  have  expected  ;  but  as  you  gaze 
on  him  he  opens  his  eyes  and  turns  them  full  upon  you. 
This  you  had  not  seen  before,  and  perhaps  this  may  give  you 
a  little  twinge  of — well,  of  sympathetic  emotion.  But  pres- 
ently, as  you  move  up  by  his  side,  he  raises  one  of  his  hands 
in  a  feeble,  uncertain  way,  and  apparently  tries  to  place  it  in 
one  of  your  hands  or  on  your  person.  By  this  time,  in  all 
ordinary  human  probabilit}'^,  you  have  seen  enough  of  this 
life-like  mockery. 

You  start  to  go  up-stairs.  Your  wife,  perchance,  notices — 
for  no  man  would  be  apt  to  notice  anything  of  the  kind,  par- 
ticularly— that  a  lady  leans  over  the  banister  and  nods  and 
smiles  afrher.  She  is  apt  to  imagine — your  wife  is — that  it 
is  an  attendant,  who  is  appropriately  stationed  at  this  particu- 
lar point  to  welcome  strangers  and  indicate  in  what  direction 
they  are  to  turn  when  they  shall  have  mounted  the  flight  of 
steps.  I  observed  several  persons  returning  this  wax-lady's 
most  courteous  and  most  natural  (not  overacted)  salutations. 
Then  a  number  of  people  unwittingly  or  unconsciously 
contributed  to  this  delusion  by  posting  themselves  at  the 
landing  above,  or  rather  alongside  of  the  show  attendant,  and 
smiling  down  upon  the  up-coming  multitude  in  expectation 
of  (or  at  least  in  the  witnessing  of)  new  victims.  It  is  good 
— very,  very  good. 

There  is  one  chamber  in  which  is  represented  an  ancient 
tap-room  of  three  centuries  ago.  Three  men  are  playing  at 
a  game,  and  the  oldest  of  the  trio,  who  nearly  faces  you  as 
you  enter  a  distant  door,  has  a  peculiar  way  of  nodding  his 
head,  half  in  meditation  and  half  in  negation,  which  is  exqui- 
sitely true  to  life. 

Here  are  two  scolds,  put  in  pillory,  face  to  face,  with  hands 
locked  in  almost  touching  distance,  with  such  devilish  ma- 


324 


NORTHERN   EUROPE. 


lignancy  depicted  on  each  countenance  that  it  is  no  wonder 
a  youthful  visitor  cries  out  in  the  shock  of  the  first  glance 
and  just  as  they  are  made  to  rattle  their  wrist-holders : 
"  Mamma,  they  are  going  to  spit  at  each  other." 

You  approach  the  fourth  or  fifth  hall  or  gallery,  far  within 
which  you  think  you  can  see  some  unmistakable  human  bazaar 
sales-women  standing  behind  a  show-case.  You  are  attracted 
and  beguiled  by  this  picture  until  you  come  close  to  the 
threshold,  when  an  old  gentleman  sitting  near  by  the  jamb, 
points  with  his  thumb  over  his  shoulder,  directing  you  to 
enter  the  apartment  referred  to. 
by  audibly  thanking  him,  and  in 
as  if  you  could  knock  the  stuffing 
impostor.  Still, 
in  San 


manners 
you  feel 


meetmgs 


You  show  your 
a  moment's  flash 
out  of  the  bald-headed  old 
I  have  seen  worse  on  platforms  at  public 
Francisco.  Then,  as  you  look  up — having 
advanced  a  few  paces — you  observe  a  young  lady,  all  radiant 
with  smiles,  nodding  at  you.  You  return  her  agreeable 
expression  of  countenance ;  you  smile  back  at  the  artful  piece 
of  mechanism  with  an  "Excuse  me — not  this  time"  sort  of 
complacent  sentiment  ;  when  lo  !  this  loving,  lovely  damsel 
approaches  and  desires  to  sell  you  a  gold  pen  (made  of  brass) 
for  "  less  than  you  could  make  one  of  the  same  kind  your- 
self."    All  this  while  you  are  getting  your  money's  worth. 

You  begin  to  be  suspicious  of  everything  and  everybody, 
and  you  have  a  right  to  be.  The  handle  of  a  weapon  which 
you  are  by  express  word  of  notice  allowed  to  touch — an  old- 
fashioned  battle-axe — suddenly  turns  in  your  grasp.  A  set 
of  armor  of  striking  pattern,  at  which  you  have  been  gazing 
for  half  a  minute  or  so,  wondering  if  you  knew  anybody  large 
enough  to  fill  it,  suddenly  is  occupied  ;  and  the  eyes  of  a 
diabolical  Saracen  are  glaring  at  you  from  under  the  visor. 
An  old  lady  sitting  in  a  low  chair,  on  being  too  closely  ap- 
proached, quickly  drops  the  knitting  Avhich  she  had  been 
intently  examining  and  stares  at  you  with  a  look  of  amaze- 
ment and  almost  reproof. 

Things  get  to  be  uncomfortable  before  you  have  gone  half 
the  rounds  or  inspected  the  chambers  of  horrors  at  all  ;  and 
as  for  the  scenes  in  the  prison  and  on  torture-beds,  murderer's 
gallows  and  beheading-block  line,  why,  having  made  up  your 


A    GLANCE  AT  BERLIN.  325 

mind  (as  you  'thought  you  had  at  the  outset — but  you  had 
not),  that  they  are  all  ancient  relics  or  masked  straw  and 
sawdust,  with  a  little  machinery  connected  with  the  floor  or 
railing,  you  rather  enjoy  them,  or  give  your  personal  attention 
considerately  to  other  people  who,  viewing  these  extra  tragedy 
scenes  immediately  on  their  entrance  upon  the  upper  floor — 
without  your  experience — seriously  shudder  and  exclaim  : 
"This  makes  me  nervous,"  "This  is  frightful !  " 

The  Old  Museum,  the  New  Museum,  and  the  National 
Gallery,  with  all  their  sub-divisions,  offer  and  comprise  attrac- 
tions which  alone  call  for  a  sojourn  extending  through  many 
days ;  and  a  week  of  admission-time  in  them  barely  suffices 
for  either  a  satisfactory  glance,  or  one  that  may  be  called 
creditable  on  any  traveller's  printed  record.  Let  me  mention 
at  least  the  Mural  Paintings  by  Kaulbach,  on  the  walls  of  the 
New  Museum,  by  the  side  of  the  splendid  staircase,  in  the 
middle  of  the  building.  You  are  advised  by  the  catalogue 
that  "  these  six  paintings  represent  so  many  of  the  most  im- 
portant epochs  in  the  history  of  mankind."  They  are  respect- 
ively named:  first,  "The  Fall  of  Babel;"  second,  "The 
Prosperity  of  Greece ; "  third,  "  The  Destruction  of  Jerusa- 
lem by  Titus;"  fourth,  "The  Battle  of  the  Huns;"  fifth, 
"The  Crusaders  before  Jerusalem  ;"  sixth,  "The  Age  of  the 
Reformation."  The  first  picture  has  King  Nimrod  for  the 
central  personage,  surrounded  by  the  children  of  Shem,  Ham, 
and  Japheth.  In  the  second  picture.  Homer  is  represented 
singing  to  the  children  of  Greece.  In  the  "  Destruction  of 
Jerusalem,"  a  high-priest  is  represented  as  killing  himself 
and  family,  while  Ahasuerus,  the  "Wandering  Jew,"  is 
escaping.  A  Christian  family  is  also  seen  in  flight.  "  The 
Battle  of  the  Huns "  represents  a  desperate  struggle  ;  the 
malignancy  of  the  combatants  being  such  that  during  the 
night  the  slain  rose  and  fought  in  the  air.  The  portrayal  of 
this  legend  is  exceedingly  vivid  ;  and  you  lose  your  first  feel- 
ing— that  it  is  absurd — in  the  interest  and  excitement  which 
the  picture  engenders.  The  painting  of  "  The  Crusaders  " 
represents  Godfrey  de  Bouillon  offering  the  Crown  of  Jerusa- 
lem to  our  Saviour.  The  name  of  the  principal  figure  is 
of  course  sufficient  to  arouse  great  expectations,  and  you  are 


326  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

never  disappointed.  A  large  number  of  amateur  artists  are 
engaged  in  copying  this  magnificent  painting.  The  colors 
are  more  than  you  are  promised,  or  than  your  imagination 
would  anticipate  from  the  reading  of  the  official  guide-book. 

Again  I  say  :  if  never  before,  economize  your  time  by  a 
thorough  preliminaiy  reading  about  what  there  is  to  be  seen. 
I  have  heard  bitter  regrets  expressed  because  of  a  failure  to 
do  the  wise  thing  in  this  particular  with  respect  to  the  "  sights  " 
in  such  a  city  as  Berlin.  It  is  a  great  metropolis,  and,  like 
London  and  Paris,  can  only  be  "visited"  in  so  short  a  space 
as  ten  days  or  a  fortnight,  with  any  satisfaction  to  the  studious 
traveller,  after  special  preparation  and  selection  made  imme- 
diately prior  to  reaching  the  place.  If  this  counsel  hits  and 
controls  any  one  who  comes  after  me  on  this  trip,  there  will 
be  remembrance  and  thanksgiving  in  my  behalf. 

When  you  consider  that  tliere  are  four  public  libraries,  six 
palaces,  nine  large  picture-galleries,  thirteen  museums,  sixteen 
theatres,  a  score  of  large  gardens,  over  fifty  churches  with  at- 
tractive interiors — to  all  of  which  your  attention  is  particularly 
invited — you  can  gather  some  faint  idea  of  the  work  in  hand 
for  the  intelligent  and  ambitious  tourist.  And  this,  of  course, 
is  leaving  out  a  long  catalogue  of  ^attractions,  well  worth  the 
time  and  labor  of  a  visit. 

The  Post-office  is  admirably  arranged.  (The  office  of  the 
Chief  Postmaster-General,  and  the  Post-office  Museum,  are 
situated  some  distance  from  the  central  public  delivery,  and 
many  travellers  fail  to  visit  the  museum  because  of  the  mis- 
understanding about  locality  that  is  here  indicated.)  There 
are  sixty-two  branch  offices.  In  the  same  proportion,  there 
would  be  at  least  ninety  branch  offices  in  New  York,  thirty  in 
Brooklyn,  and  twenty  in  San  Francisco.  Twenty  words,  ex- 
clusive of  address,  are  telegraphed  to  any  part  of  the  kingdom 
for  twenty-five  cents.  It  costs  the  German  Government  more 
to  send  a  telegraphic  despatch  from  one  boundary  of  the  king- 
dom to  another  than  it  costs  our  great  telegraph  monopoly  to 
transmit  a  like  despatch  from  New  York  to  San  Francisco, — 
although  we  have  to  pay  four  times  as  much  as  the  European 
postal  establishments  ask,  and  realize  a  profit  from,  in  this 
department  of  mail  facilities. 


A   GLANCE  A  T  BERLIN. 


327 


In  every  civilized  nation,  save  on  the  North  American  con- 
tinent, there  is  a  Postal  Telegraph, — which  means  the  abso- 
lute ownership  and  control  of  telegraph  lines  connecting  the 
post-offices  of  the  country,  and  offering  telegraphic  postal  fa- 
cilities at  a  low  uniform  rate.  The  rates  in  Germany  will  soon 
be  greatly  reduced — as  is  also  the  promise  in  Great  Britain. 
A  weekly  newspaper  proprietor  in  one  of  the  smallest  towns 
of  Germany  that  is  capable  of  supporting  such  a  publica- 
tion, can,  in  proportion  to  his  patronage,  get  his  news  de- 
spatches from  any  place  in  his  country,  as  cheap  as  the  most 
influential  and  widely  circulated  journal  published  at  the  cap- 
ital. 


ROYAL  PALACE,  BERLIN. 

Post  cards  and  unsealed  letters  are  sent  between  all  postal 
stations  in  Berlin  through  a  system  of  pneumatic  tubes.  This 
rapid  transit  might  be  commended  to  our  own  Government, 
for  adoption  in  our  large  cities  ? 

The  royal  palace  is  a  building  650  feet  long,  380  feet  wide, 
100  feet  high,  and  contains  600  apartments.  It  is  surmounted 
by  a  dome  250  feet  in  height.     An  excellent  view  of  its  front 


328  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

is  herewith  presented.  It  is  a  treasure-house  of  art.  Over 
looo  paintings  are  here.  The  picture  gallery  is  over  196  feet 
in  length ;  and  in  many  other  halls  and  apartments  the  walls 
are  lined  with  the  choicest  productions  of  Watteau,  Camp- 
hausen,  and  Schluter.  In  sculpture,  it  seems  to  me  that 
nothing  from  the  hands  of  modern  genius  can  surpass  the 
force  and  beauty  embodied  in  marble  by  Ranch  and  Shadow. 
'"  Victoiy/'  a  sitting  statue  by  the  first-named  artist,  fairly  and 
firmly  and  even  thrillingly — albeit  there  may  at  first  seem  to 
be  here  some  contradiction  or  incongruity  of  terms — impresses 
and  inspires  you  with  a  sense  of  the  majestic  composure  of  an 
assured  and  perfect  triumph. 

Around  the  city  is  a  line  of  railway  (Ringbahn)  six  miles 
long,  with  fifty  stations.  The  fare  is  six  cents.  Shorter  dis- 
tances are  traversed  at  proportionate  prices.  The  trains  start 
every  five  minutes,  between  six  a.m.  and  ten  p.m.  At  many 
points  you  get  an  excellent  view  of  a  portion  of  the  city,  on 
the  one  side ;  suburban  or  countrv  landscapes  on  the  other. 
And  it  is  very  easy  to  form  "chance  acquaintances"  on  this 
trip.  The  characteristic  reserve  and  exclusiveness  of  the  av- 
erage German— who  by  our  experience  is  recorded  as  far  less 
sociable  than  the  Englishman,  though  we  had  notable  excep- 
tions— seems  to  give  way  before  a  realization  of  the  fact  (as 
familiarly  proclaimed  to  me  by  a  native,  shortly  after  we  took 
our  seats),  that  "most  of  us  are  out  on  a  lark.  '  How  did  he 
learn  to  speak  our  English  so  well  ?  This  wonder  being  audi- 
bly expressed,  there  followed  answer  and  question,  and  instruc- 
tive and  delightful  dialogue  and  companionship — during  the 
entire  ride.  He  knew  that  we  were  from  the  States — right 
away — he  did.  He  had  been  there  himself.  Well,  he  should 
rather  say  so.  He  went  there  when  he  was  a  lad.  He 
brought  back  a  passport.  No  "  gobbling  him  "  for  the  next 
war  in  Europe.  He  had  "fit  mid  Sigel."  He  had  his  army 
discharge  papers  also.  Did  not  he  love  to  see  a  Yankee  ? 
(This  remark  was  entirely  voluntary  and  unprovoked  !)  Well, 
he  had  lived  in  Boston.  He  liked  the  people  there  when  ho 
he  was  a  boy  and  when  he  was  a  man.  He  knew  what  it  was 
to  eat  beans  and  brown  bread.  He  was  in  Europe  on  a 
year's  visit ;  had  been  to  his  birthplace  and  seen  his  brothers 


A   GLANCE  A  T  BERLIN. 

w 


329 


33° 


NORTHERN  EUROPE 


and  sisters.  He  was  going  home  next  spring.  [This  was 
said  with  an  intense  emphasis  on  the  word  home.  ]  Then  he 
would  point  out  for  us  and  describe  on  the  one  hand  and  the 
other — giving  himself  up  to  our  service  from  the  moment  of 
mutual  introduction.  Exchanging  cards.  Shaking  hands 
twice.  Introducing  us  to  others  in  an  interpreting  fashion. 
Drawing  our  attention  to  the  fact  that  his  freedom  of  manner 
and  general  cheerfulness  and  hilarity  were  not  greater  than 
that  of  our  neighbors  in  the  car,  who  had  not  had  that  which 
he  proudly  called  his  American  education.  After  each  de- 
scription of  building,  estates,  manufactories,  etc. — suggested 
by  objects  brought  to  view  on  the  circuit — he  suddenly  ex- 
claimed, in  a  very  earnest  manner,  "  Now  look  at  that  fellow 
standing  on  that  platform!  You  see  how  his  face  is  all 
scarred  from  his  chin  to  his  forehead.  What  do  you  think 
that  is  ?  Do  you  think  that  young  man  was  in  any  of  the  bat- 
tles with  the  French  ?  He  was  hardly  away  from  his  mother's 
apron-string  then — when  that  racket  was  going  on.  He  is  a 
student  at  one  of  our  universities.  You  have  probably  heard 
about  their  duelling.  You  probably  know  their  rules — not  to 
cut  below  the  face  or  below  the  breast.  When  a  severe  cut  is 
given  the  surgeon  stops  the  fighting.  Now  will  you  please  to 
tell  me  what  sense  there  is  in  that  ?  What  do  these  goslings 
want  to  fight  for  ?  And  v/hat  makes  him  so  proud  of  his 
scars  ?  Has  he  fought  for  any  principle  ?  Is  he  any  more  of 
a  man  than  he  was  before  ?  And  what  sort  of  authorities 
are  those  that  do  not  put  a  stop  to  it  ?  Or  if  they  are  going 
to  allow  that  kind  of  thing,  why  don't  they  let  them  kill  each 
other  outright .''  That,  I  think,  would  put  a  stop  to  it.  Then 
the  parents  would  generally  be  calling  for  a  *  constitutional 
amendment ' — as  we  would  say  in  the  States — that  would 
make  these  fellows  outlaws." 

\\'e  parted  with  unaffected  sorrow  at  the  Landsberger-Platz, 
— he  waving  his  hat  as  cur  steps  turned  in  different  directions, 
and  shouting,  "  We  meets  again  !  We  meets  again  !  On 
those  Pacific  shores !  We  remember.  Now  you  '  shust 
remember.'  '  Ring-around-a-rosy  ! '  "  This  last  exclamation 
—  attended  by  a  flourish  of  his  handkerchief  as  well  as  a  toss 
of  his  hat — was  more  particularly  addressed  to  the  little  girl 


BERLIN'    TO    DOVER.  331 

in  our  company.  "  I  wonder,"  said  the  cliild,  after  we  had 
walked  a  little  distance  from  the  station  without  speaking, 
"  I  wonder  if  that  man  is  not  a  brother  of  that  other  funny 
man  we  had  with  us  on  the  Gotha  Canal  ? "  (After  another 
period  of  silent  meditation.)  "  I  think  he  must  be  a  cousin- 
German,  at  least." 

— — o • 

XXVL 

BERLIN    TO    DOVER.      A   FEW    NOTES    AT    DRES- 
DEN,   COLOGNE   AND   PARIS. 

The  express  train  from  Berlin  to  Dresden  makes  the  trip 
in  three  hours  by  one  route  (by  the  most  direct)  and  in  three 
hours  and  a  half  by  Juterburg-Roderau.  The  fares  are  about 
the  same,  the  difference  being  a  little  less  than  two  marks  in 
favor  of  the  shortest  line.  For  accommodations  equal  in  com- 
fort to  those  given  by  our  "  first-class  "  trains  on  the  Central 
Pacific  routes,  you  pay  twelve  marks,  or  about  three  dollars. 
The  distance  is  about  120  miles.  Here  are  also  what  are  called 
ordinary  trains,  which  make  the  trip  in  four  hours,  and  in 
which  the  fare  for  good  accommodations,  in  cushioned  com- 
partments, is  as  low  as  a  cent  and  a  half  a  mile.  At  a  dis- 
tance of  about  fifteen  miles  from  Dresden  you  perceptibly 
enter  the  valley  of  the  Elbe,  which  alternately  contracts  and 
broadens  to  your  view  from  the  train  as  you  approach  the 
city. 

Dresden,  it  may  be  well  to  remind  my  readers,  remains 
the  capital  of  a  kingdom.  Saxony  may  still  be  said  to  boast 
of  a  king  ;  but  since  the  grand  coronation  and  royal  saluta- 
tion at  Paris  shortly  after  the  taking  of  that  city  by  the 
German  forces.  Saxony  is  as  absolutely  under  the  dominion 
of  the  Kaiser  as  are  any  of  the  provinces  of  Prussia  proper. 
And  the  unit}^  of  the  German  Empire  is  as  much  a  matter  of 
prevailing  congratulation  and  pride  in  Dresden  and  through- 
out the  kingdom — so  far  as  we  could  judge  from  conversations 
with  representative  men — as  in  Berlin  itself. 

The   population  of   Dresden  and  the  immediate  vicinity, 


•332  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

taking  the  number  of  inhabitants  within  the  bounds  that  are 
reached  by  the  omnibuses  and  the  tramways,  is  just  about 
the  same  as  San  Francisco — or  350,000  souls.  The  popula- 
tion of  the  city  proper  is  set  down  at  212,000,  As  the  maps 
will  tell  you,  the  city  lies  on  both  banks  of  the  Elbe  ;  but  as 
you  will  not  be  otherwise  informed  by  any  one  of  the  many 
books  descriptive  of  the  place,  which  I  have  seen,  let  me  tell 
you  that  the  portion  called  the  "  old  city  "  appears,  for  the 
most  part,  to  be  quite  as  new  as  that  section  which  has  the 
special  name  of  being  most  recently  constructed.  The  adjec- 
tive is  historic  —states  the  fact  as  to  date  of  settlement — but 
for  its  application  you  must  draw  somewhat  on  your  imagina- 
tion. 

As  we  pass  down  the  valley  on  the  flying  train,  the  visions 
presented  from  the  window  give  us,  in  contrast,  the  plain 
which  is  receding  from  sight  and  the  mountain  lines  which 
at  first  seem  to  be  approaching  at  an  even  angle  on  either 
side.  We  realize  at  once  how  it  is  that  the  pictures  and 
photographs  which  we  have  seen,  which  purport  to  give  a 
correct  idea  of  the  appearance  of  the  country  immediately 
north  of  the  capital  of  Saxony,  really  impart  a  very  erroneous 
impression.  We  should  not  have  recognized  our  location 
from  the  photographs  supposed  to  be  taken  near  the  points 
we  pass — jDhotographs  which  we  had  recently  and  carefully 
examined  at  Copenhagen.  The  fact  is  that  the  view  is  always 
shifting,  almost  completely  changing  the  general  outlook  at 
every  half  or  quarter-mile  post  on  this  end  of  the  route.  It 
suggests  the  very  same  peculiarity  to  which  we  referred  when 
speaking  of  the  totally  different  aspects  of  the  country  from 
the  several  heights  of  Stettin.  It  is  dusty  to  the  degiee  of 
uncomfortable  on  this  short  trip,  and  you  have  to  comment 
upon  the  change  from  the  cool  and  even  chilling  atmosphere 
of  the  Swedish  capital,  which  we  have  so  recently  left  behind. 
Now  it  is  so  warm  that  the  people  are  walking  in  linen  coats 
and  covering  their  heads  with  Panama  hats,  and  eating  iced 
creams,  and  even  plying  their  fans  in  the  streets. 

At  the  station  where  the  Berlin  train  draws  up  there  is  such 
quiet  that  we  do  not  know  of  our  arrival  until  the  guard  snarls, 
with  peremptory  accent,  that  we  must  "  All  out !  all  out ! " 


BERLIN    TO    DOVER. 


333 


We  are  reminded  of  our  almost  noiseless  entrance  into  some 
of  the  London  stations.     There  are  the   same  excellent  ar- 


CENTRAL  PORTION  OF  OLD  DRESDEN. 

rangements  with  respect  to  checking  for  baggage  and  procur- 
ing a  cab  that  we  noted  in  Berhn.    At  an  upper  station,  where 


334 


NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


there  is  a  momentary  pause — just  before  reaching  this  cit}' — 
a  little  boy  comes  along  and  hands  into  each  compartment  in 
which  it  is  ascertained  that  there  are  any  foreigners,  a  copy 
of  a  little  pamphlet  of  40  pages.  It  is  entitled  "  A  Dresden 
guide  for  the  use  of  foreigners,  by  the  association  of  Dresden- 
ers  and  strangers,  for  the  protection  of  their  mutual  interests." 
The  information  contained  in  this  valuable  document  is 
printed  in  German  and  English  in  parallel  columns.  It 
appears  that  the  association  was  started  in  1875,  and  that  its 
purpose  was  to  "  strive "  against  the  many  inconveniences 
which  at  one  time  made  themselves  felt ;  and  afford  strangers, 
during  their  stay  in  Dresden,  every  possible  assistance  in 
word  and  deed.  "There  is  a  list  of  the  principal  places  of 
interest,  the  museums,  galleries,  churches,  etc.,  and  there  are 
six  or  seven  pages  devoted  to  the  names  of  physicians, 
apothecaries,  bankers,  printers,  booksellers,  and  merchants 
of  every  sort ;  and  boarding-house  keepers  whom  the  man- 
agement of  the  association  doth  recommend.  To  this  latter 
portion  of  the  pamphlet  there  is  a  convenient  index.  At  the 
end  there  is  printed  "  an  order  of  arbitration  for  the  associa- 
tion of  Dresdeners  and  strangers,  for  the  protection  of  their 
mutual  interests." 

It  appears  that  prior  to  1875,  and  during  more  than  ten 
years  before  that  time,  there  had  been  frequent  complaints  of 
extortion  on  the  part  of  merchants,  and,  on  the  other  hand, 
some  of  the  principal  dealers  had  been  obliged  to  bring  suits 
in  the  courts  against  strangers  who  had  ordered  goods  and 
refused  to  pay  for  them  on  one  pretext  or  another — generally 
on  the  ground  of  alleged  overcharge,  or  bills  for  extras  not 
included  in  the  terms  of  purchase.  And  it  was  also  a  matter 
of  complaint  that  the  keepers  of  "villas,"  who  entertained 
strangers  for  a  consideration,  were  in  the  habit  of  suddenly 
raising  their  prices  after  the  first  week  of  sojourn,  especially 
if  there  was  an  unusually  large  influx  of  visitors  at  that  par- 
ticular time ;  so  that  when  an  Englishman  or  American  sup- 
posed himself  located  for  the  season  in  comfortable  quarters 
at  a  satisfactory  sum  per  week,  he  was  liable  to  receive  a 
surprise-notice  to  the  effect  that  his  rent  was  doubled.  We 
were  told   that  this  sort  of  "business"  proceeded  to  that 


BERLIN-    TO   DOVER. 


335 


extremity  and  was  of  such  frequent  occurrence,  that  the 
society  of  which  this  little  pamphlet  is  the  proclamation  was 
organized.  It  is  claimed  that  it  effectually  put  a  stop  to  the 
class  of  impositions  to  which  I  have  referred,  and  we  can 
well  believe  that  it  has  produced  improvement;  for  during  the 
time  we  were  in  this  city  we  made  comparisons  with  respect 
to  our  reception  at  shops  and  the  prices  charged  at  the  stores, 
which  are  favorable  to  the  place,  and  which  confirmed  the 
statement  of  Consul  Mason,— to  the  effect  that  as  a  rule 
shopping,  especially  for  ladies,  can  be  done  here  at  a  less 
draft  on  the  family  purse  than  in  the  city  of  Berlin.  But 
impositions  are  still  practiced  by  the  shop-keepers  ;  in  mak- 
ing bills  exorbitant,  or  beyond  agreement,  and  in  selling 
worthless  articles  by  means  of  indirect  misrepresentations. 
Caveat  emptor/  And,  by  the  way,  I  must  even  here  note  our 
surprise  at  finding  the  American  Consul  at  his  office — a  most 
agreeable  gentleman,  attending  to  his  business.  Four  con- 
suls present  out  of  nineteen  on  our  routes  so  far ;  four  only, 
at  post  of  duty,  sober  and  civil ! 

The  Elbe,  which  divides  Dresden,  is  at  this  ]Doint  about  the 
width  of  the  Hudson  River  at  the  city  of  Hudson,  or  the 
Sacramento  River  at  Rio  Vista,  but  it  is  shallow  and  does 
not  probably  contain  a  greater  volume  of  water  than  flows  in 
front  of  the  California  capital  city  at  mid-water  mark. 

I  wish  to  recommend  the  selection  of  my  time  for  a  visit  to 
the  Central  Bridge,  With  me  it  was  a  matter  of  accident, 
but  it  was  and  will  be  accepted  as  being  worthy  of  design. 
Starting  from  our  hotel,  the  Golden  yingel  (a  most  excellent 
house),  just  after  nightfall,  and  making  a  Hawthorne  dive 
into  the  city,  it  so  happened  that  I  passed  around  the  Cen- 
tral Square,  at  which  the  tramway  cars  do  congregate,  and 
crossed  through  the  archways  of  the  Zwinger  (the  palatial 
buildings  now  devoted  to  the  exhibition  of  paintings  and  casts 
and  museum-collections),  and  came  out  by  the  cathedral. 
Passing  round  the  front  of  the  cathedral,  you  are  suddenly 
brought  face  to  face  with  the  noble  flight  of  steps  leading  up 
to  the  Bruhl  Terrace  ;  and  you  are  then  adjacent  to  the 
old  city  terminus  of  the  Central  Bridge.  As  you  walk  from 
the  Court  Church  diagonally  across  the  street  until  you  strike 


■336 


NORTHERN  EUROPE, 


the  sidewalk-wall  just  below  the  bridge,  a  scene  of  enchant- 
ing and  fairy-like  beauty  bursts  upon  you,  and  from  many 
quarters  the  music  of  magnificent  orchestras  salutes  your  ears. 
Immediately  in  front  of  you,  at  the  \t.xy  first  turn,  arc  the 
brilliantly  illuminated  steps  of  the  Bruhl  Terrace,  with  the 
great,  gilded  groups  of  statuary  representing  night,  noon,  and 
morning  rising  on  either  side.  As  you  pass  along,  the  lights 
upon  the  long  Central  Bridge,  and  then  the  line  of  lamps  on 


BRUHL    TERRACE. 


the  lower  crossing  with  their  reflections  in  the  water,  and  the 
mirroring  shadows  of  the  lamps  on  the  embankments,  rise 
and  flash  upon  you.  O,  it  is  a  vision  of  transcendent  loveli- 
ness, on  a  clear,  starlight  night,  in  the  month  of  September, 
in  the  city  of  Dresden  !  Keeping  on  your  prescribed  walk 
along  the  great  bridge,  you  have  a  charming,  ever-changing 
picture  presented  at  each  new  angle  ;  touching  for  central 
or  pivotal  lines,  the  shores  on  the  river  at  some  illuminated 
point,  not  fully  discerned  or  not  observed  as  prominent  save 
at  a  particular  alcove.     Be  it  known  that  at  every  few  rods 


B&RUN    TO   DOVER. 


337 


there  is  a  semicircular  projection  from  tlie  sides  of  the 
bridge  pavement,  giving  sufficient  room  for  a  score  of  persons 
to  sit  and  two  score  to  stand  without  interrupting  the  tide  of 
rapid  passers-by.  A  Httle  way  from  the  first  abutment  you 
have  a  full  view  also  of  the  Upper  Bridge,  with  its  tiers  of 
lamps  and  its  own  shadows  and  fire-flashing  reflections  in 
the  flowing  stream.  The  views  in  the  daytime  from  this 
same  jDromenade  are  not  devoid  of  beauty.     They  have  an 


^Y  "%  X^^  -«J-'^^  t^  _^>^r^  ^f  -5T^ 


HELBIG  S    RESTAURANT. 


added  excellence  in  some  respects,  taking  in,  as  you  then 
do,  the  sweep  of  country  all  around  about.  But  I  beseech 
you  to  begin  your  visitation  to  this  place  at  this  appointed 
time. 

Immediately  on  your  left,  as  you  step  away  from  the 
bridge  in  the  old  city,  is  a  long  building  which  has  only  one 
stoiy  above  the  pavement  on  the  square,  at  the  side  on  which 
the  cathedral  is  situated,  but  which  has  three  stories  on  the 
side  facing  the  river.  These  three  stories  are  open,  like  unto 
covered  balconies,  during  the  summer  season,  and  the  refresh- 
ment tables  on  every  floor  are  surrounded  by  closely  sitting 


333 


NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


patrons ;  most  of  the  companies  having  the  appearance  of 
family  kinship.  Moored  near  to  this  large  house  of  enter- 
tainment— known  as  Helbig's  Restaurant — in  whose  corri- 
dors a  thousand  people  can  be  fed  at  once,  is  a  long,  low 
barge,  resplendent  with  the  light  of  lamps  that  are  upon  it, 
and  that  are  placed  upon  the  surface  of  the  water  about  it ; 
in  which  barge  are  seated  some  forty  or  fifty  musicians,  the 
strains  of  whose  instruments  fill  the  space  all  round  about  to 


THE   BELVEDERE. 


a  distance  that  maybe  measured  at  not  less  than  one-third  of 
the  line  of  the  bridge  itself.  On  the  new  city  end  of  this 
crossing,  and  immediately  to  the  right,  is  situated  what  is 
known  as  the  Wiener  Garden,  where  there  is  also  excellent 
music  to  be  heard  every  night,  and  where,  three  nights  in  the 
week,  an  extra  performance  is  announced,  which  includes 
recitations  by  a  band  of  one  hundred  musicians  or  more.  At 
the  farther  end  of  the  shaded  Bruhl  Terrace,  a  distance  of  a 
quarter  of  a  mile,  perhaps,  from  the  cathedral,  there  is  another 
garden  with  a  great  orchestra — the  Belvedere — the  voices 


BERLIN    TO    DOVER. 


339 


of  whose  many  reeds  and  trumpets  make  the  night  musical 
during  the  pleasant  seasons  of  the  year.  And  when  you 
shall  have  visited  this  bridge  on  many  an  occasion  and  accus- 
tomed yourself,  as  it  were,  to  the  delights  of  the  vision  and 
the  charms  of  the  musical  perfonnance,  you  will  be  able  to 
detect,  in  what  may  appear  to  be  the  pauses  of  the  cornets 
and  drums  of  the  great  companies  on  either  side  of  you,  and 
in  close  proximity  to  the  river  banks,  melodious  sounds  that 
come  from  afar  off — from  the  other  city  gardens,  above  and 
below  and  distant  on  either  hand. 

One  thing  I  desire  to  note,  as  a  proper  remark  from  an 
American  born  and  bred ; — the  writing  being  suggested  also 
by  tho  frequency  of  one  comment  (I  will  not  call  it  criticism) 
which  musicians  educated  in  our  country,  but  of  no  mean 
quality  in  any  respect,  have  frequently  made  in  my  presence. 
It  has  been  a  complaint — perhaps  that  rather  than  anything 
else — that  the  German  music  as  heard  in  the  United  States — 
the  music  of  German  orchestra — was  too  loud  and  harsh  ; 
and  especially  has  this  been  a  comment  with  respect  to  mu- 
sicians coming  from  Prussia  ;  the  performers  from  Austria 
having  a  gentler  disposition,  so  to  speak,  while  producing  the 
same  pieces.  One  needs  to  come  to  Germany  to  observe  the 
excellence  of  similar  companies  of  musicians — the  superlative 
beauty  of  their  performance — in  the  great  gardens  and  on  the 
high  places  where  they  are  accustomed  to  sit  and  discourse. 
Then  the  vast  and  strong  volume  of  sound  is,  as  one  may 
say  in  homely  language,  absolutely  needed  for  distinctness 
of  articulation;  then  it  no  longer  appears  that  there  is  a 
hoarse  blare  of  the  bugle  or  a  rough  bang  of  the  kettle-drums, 
but  by  the  same  token  there  is  an  emphasis  not  only  appro- 
priate but  delightful.  The  all-encasing  air  takes  up  and 
takes  in  these  mighty  symphonies,  and  sheds  them  abroad 
upon  the  senses  of  the  comparatively  distant  auditors  with 
effects  that  cannot  be  described  ;  they  are  of  such  fascinating 
power  and  such  entrancing  sweetness.  The  "  little  German 
band  "  or  the  great  German  orchestra  placed  in  a  cubby-hole 
theatre  or  music-room,  or  in  a  little  yard  of  a  garden,  or 
between  the  walls  of  a  narrow  street,  is  sometimes  an  unqual- 
ified nuisance — as  we  know  either  of  them  in  Americaj  and 


S40 


NORTHERN   EUROPE. 


as  we  undertake  to  regard  either  of  them  from  an  humble 
layman's  standpoint  of  judgment ;  but  a  small  company  of 
German  harpists  and  flutists  and  violinists  in  Dresden,  or  a 
gallery  crowded  with  orchestral  artists  in  one  of  its  gardens 
— ah  !  there  is  all  the  difference  in  the  world  ! 

In  the  new  city  of  Dresden,  and  distant  half  or  three  quar- 
ters of  a  mile  from  Weiner  Garden,  is  a  shaded  enclosure 
where  there  are  seats  for  over  1500  persons,  and  where,  on 
one  evening  in  each  week — during  the  season — there  is  a  dis- 
play of  fireworks.     The  rockets  and  the  wheels  are  set  imme- 


OLD    BRIDGE    AND    CATHEDRAL,   DRESDEN. 


diately  in  front  of  the  orchestra-stand,  within  a  space  not 
exceeding  twenty-five  feet  from  the  foot-lights.  The  pyro- 
technic display  is  very  fine  and  lasts  fully  half  an  hour.  But 
the  spectators  are  imquestionably  in  danger  from  their  prox- 
imity to  the  pieces,  and  on  the  occasion  of  our  visit  a  number 
of  children  were  somewhat  injured  by  the  explosion  of  the 
bombs;  while  there  was  an  unnumbered  concert  contribution 
from  cr}'-ing  babies,  from  the  beginning  of  this  section  of  the 
performance  to  the  close.     I  would  not  repeat  such  a  visit. 


BERLIN  TO  DOVER,  341 

But  the  exhibition  met  with  great  applause,  and  is  so  popular 
that  the  crowds  which  seek  admission  are  not  more  than  one- 
half  accommodated  by  the  chairs  and  tables  that  are  pro- 
vided. 

The  cathedral,  or  Roman  Catholic  court  church,  to  which  I 
have  already  referred,  situated  nearly  opposite  the  old  bridge, 
has  fifty  statues  of  saints  on  the  parapets  and  fourteen  in 
alcoves  near  the  entrances.  As  one  of  its  familiar  names 
implies,  it  is  here  that  the  King  of  Saxony  attends ;  and  a 
visit  to  the  interior  is  generally  sought  during  high  mass  hours, 
that  in  addition  to  the  view  of  the  paintings  and  sculpture 
the  royal  household  may  perchance  be  seen.  The  guide-books 
are  particular  to  inform  you  that  "  strict  order  is  preserved 
during  divine  service."  This  naturally  leads  you  to  expect 
that  there  there  will  be  no  walking  about  while  mass  is  being 
sung  or  the  preacher  is  speaking.  In  point  of  fact,  there  is  a 
great  deal  of  promenading  at  this  very  time  ;  there  being,  on 
the  part  of  many  glancing  visitors,  a  shameful  disregard  of 
the  solemnity  of  the  place.  There  is  even  less  decorum  here 
in  that  respect  than  in  St.  Paul's  or  Westminster,  in  London, 
where,  as  many  of  my  readers  know,  the  frequent  disobedience 
of  the  injunction  of  silence,  which  the  Dean  has  conspicu- 
ously printed  and  posted,  is  something  which  is  at  first  very 
surprising  to  reverential  minds.  The  altar  piece  is  a  fine 
picture  of  the  Ascension,  which,  you  will  be  told,  has  been  in 
times  long  past  very  much  overestimated.  What  praises 
have  been  bestowed  upon  it  you  are  not  likely  to  know 
without  special  search,  but  it  is  certainly  deserving  of  a  high 
place  in  the  catalogue  of  art.  As  viewed  from  the  extreme 
opposite  end  of  the  edifice,  it  is  full  of  strength  and  beauty. 
The  loud  prattling  of  gossiping  girls  and  dames  from — yes,  I 
grieve  to  say — from  the  United  States,  is  hushed  when,  with 
their  week-day  license  or  in  their  inconsiderate  and  irreverent 
attendance  on  a  Sunday  morning,  they  come  suddenly  in  sight 
of  that  magnificent  scene.  When  we  attended  on  a  Sunday  a 
a  young  man  delivered  the  sermon.  The  preacher  could 
scarcely  have  been  twenty-eight  years  of  age.  His  text  was, 
"Be  ye  therefore  reconciled  unto  God."  He  displayed  so 
much  ability  in  the  way  of  elocution,  admirable  articulation, 


343  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

and  most  appropriate  gesticulation,  that,  taking  his  sermon 
altogether,  matter  and  manner,  I  have  set  him  down  prophet- 
ically as  a  Bishop  ;  and  I  am  going  to  watch  the  catalogue  so 
long  as  I  live — if  I  do  live  after  his  arrival  at  the  eligible 
date — to  know  precisely  when  he  assumes  the  mitre.  If  he 
is  not  made  a  Bishop  when  he  becomes  of  prelate  age,  I  shall 
be  inclined  to  think  that  the  Pope  has  not  been  duly  in- 
formed. And  as  for  t'p.e  chanting  !  Here  again  is  a  revela- 
tion of  possibilities  in  sweetness  and  power.     Here  indeed, 

"Heavenly  music  seems  foretold, 
And  pours  its  floods  o'er  shrines  of  gold." 

The  Green  Vault  is  the  name  of  a  series  of  rooms  in  the 
Palace,  but  more  particularly  it  attaches  to  four  in  the  order, 
— there  being  eight  in  the  series.  The  w-alls  of  the  Green 
A'ault  room  are  of  the  color  which  gives  the  adjective,  and 
contains  vessels  of  gold,  silver  and  crj'stal,  and  a  jewel  casket 
made  over  370  years  ago,  and  not  equalled  in  workman- 
ship of  its  kind  since  it  left  its  master's  hand.  The  eighth 
apartment  is  the  most  interesting,  not  only  as  containing  the 
court  jewels,  such  as  the  box  with  662  diamonds  and  the 
largest  onyx  in  existence,  seven  inches  in  height,  but  also  as 
containing  historic  rings.  Here  is  one  that  was  worn  by 
Luther,  another  that  belonged  to  Melancthon,  and  others  that 
belonged  to  kings  and  electors  of  renowTi,  the  "  seal  of  splen- 
dor-loving Augustus,"  circles  and  bracelets  worn  by  his  wife, 
and  the  like. 

A  few  rods  distant  from  the  Berlin  station,  in  old  Dresden, 
there  has  been  erected  a  round  panorama  building  in  which 
is  now  exhibited  a  painting  of  the  Battle  of  Sedan.  This  st}-le 
of  single  picture  galler}-,  so  to  speak,  has  found  great  popular 
favor  all  over  the  continent,  and  imitations  are  now  being  con- 
structed in  a  few  of  the  cities  of  the  United  States.  Some- 
thing similar  was  to  be  seen  in  1874-7  in  Xew  York  Cit}',  but 
that  lacked  the  realism  of  this  latest  encircling  "scenorama." 
You  enter  on  a  level  with  the  ground  and  pass  to  the  centre 
of  the  building,  which  is  probably  sevent}'-five  feet  in  diam- 
eter. You  then  ascend  a  flight  of  twent}-  steps,  which  brings 
you   upon  a  circular  rail-enclosed  platform,   that  is   imme- 


BEJiLI.V  TO  DOVER.  343 

diately  in  the  centre  of  the  edifice,  and  which  is  about  twenty 
feet  in  diameter.  Above  you,  perhaps  twelve  feet  above  you, 
is  an  inner  roof  or  awning,  umbrella  shaped  and  of  a  blue- 
brown  color,  that  extends  full  to  the  edge  of  the  platform,  and, 
perhaps,  projects  over  a  little.  Your  vision  is  thus  confined 
to  a  given  space  on  the  surrounding  walls,  determined  by  the 
elevation  of  this  false  ceiling.  There,  on  the  walls,  the  paint- 
ing has  been  placed — that  is,  so  much  of  the  "paint"  as  is 
painting.  But  just  below  your  feet,  and  coming  close  up  to 
the  side  of  the  stand,  is  unmistakable  earth,  sod,  rocks,  can- 
non, broken  accoutrements,  deserted  camp-grounds  with  tents 
and  utensils  in  disorder;  and  here  and  there  are  the  bodies  of 
dead  soldiers,  with  perhaps  the  figures  of  sympathizing  com- 
rades leaning  over  the  form  of  a  dying  dragoon.  Now,  where 
the  tableau  ends  and  the  painted  picture  begins,  is  often 
something  that  it  is  difficult  to  discover ;  and  it  all  makes  a 
vivid  presentation  of  the  stirring  scenes  of  the  battle.  Of 
course  there  is  claim  here  for  historic  accuracy,  which  may 
well  be  conceded,  inasmuch  as  certificates  of  French  as  well 
as  German  officers  support  the  advertisements. 

A  dispute  arose  while  we  were  paying  our  second  visit  as 
to  where  a  line  of  fence  ceased  to  be  real  and  began  to  be  a 
matter  of  canvas  and  black  pigment.  So  close  and  neat  are 
the  divisions  on  this  line  that  a  portion  of  the  same  dis- 
mounted cannon  is  on  the  land  and  a  portion  on  the  wall. 
There  is  no  available  trick  for  illusion  left  untried,  and  there 
is  in  this  ingenious  deception  alone  an  attractive  force  that 
brings  many  visitors  to  the  rotunda,  again  and  again.  We 
are  told  by  a  French  guide  that  he  was  once  offered  two 
scores  of  shares  in  the  smaller  panorama  of  the  city  of  Paris, 
which  is  situated  near  the  Champs  Elysdes,  in  the  French 
capital,  for  a  thousand  dollars,  but  he  laughed  at  the  propo- 
sition. Had  he  accepted  the  ofifer  he  says  that  he  would  be 
well-to-do  to-day  on  that  single  investment.  The  enterprise 
has  proved  a  great  succees,  as  without  addition  or  alteration 
it  has  continued  to  draw  immense  patronage  from  day  to  day 
ever  since  the  hour  when  it  was  thrown  open  to  the  public. 

At  the  entrance  of  the  cemetery  in  Dresden  there  is  a  large 
horseshoe-shaped  edifice  with  a  pillared  corridor  that  affords 


344 


NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


standing  room  for  a  thousand  persons  or  more,  who  can 
there,  to  use  the  precise  expression  of  one  of  the  gardeners — 
used  in  the  most  solemn  manner — "  welcome  the  corpse. " 
The  rule  of  monuments  here  is  unobtrusive.  Most  of  them 
are  so  modest  in  dimensions  and  inscription,  that  they  form  a 
pleasing  contrast  to  the  catalogue  of  superior  and  now  un- 
approachable virtues  which,  times  innumerable,  we  have  all 
seen  recorded  elsewhere  in  similar  places. 

At  several  points  in  our  divergent  walks  in  the  old  city  we 
came  flat  up  against  fragments  of  ancient  walls,  and  were  dis- 


GROSSE    GARDENS,    PALACE   AND    LAKE. 

posed,  if  not  forced,  to  cry  out  like  the  old  clerk  in  "  Great 
Expectations''':  "Halloa,  here  is  a  church!"  or  "Halloa, 
here  is  a  museum  !  "  as  we  found  one  or  the  other  adjacent 
to,  or  enclosed  in  part  by,  these  ruins. 

The  Grosse  Garden,  or  Royal  Park,  is  situated  about  a 
mile  southeast  of  the  old  city,  and  in  its  three  hundred  acres 
is  a  palace  in  which  is  a  collection  of  ecclesiastical  antiquities, 
and  also  a  museum  of  casts  and  models,  and  a  zoological 
garden.  There  are  two  broad  avenues  dividing  the  park,  with 
convenient  outleading  and  intersecting  roads.     Children  are 


BERLIN  TO  DOVER. 


345 


allowed  to  play  on  the  grass,  by  the  same  signs,  often,  that 
bear  on  their  faces  the  mild  suggestion  that  they  had  better 
not  get  too  near  the  cages.  The  domestic  and  wild  beasts 
and  fowls  on  exhibition  are  widely  separated — have  plenty  of 
room  themselves — while  abundant  space  is  allowed  for 
spectators  before  and  around  each  distinct  species  of  animals 
and  birds.  Books  on  natural  history  are  for  sale  on  the 
grounds,  and  children  were  seen  by  us  reading  from  them  in 
the  immediate,  august  presence  of  the  Royal  Bengal  tiger 
himself,  and  again  studying  the  same  volume  while  standing 
on  the  outside  of  the  warm  cottage  appropriated  and  set 
apart  for  the  flannel-lined  cages  of  the  anacondas.  There 
can  be  no  mistake  about  the  accuracy  of  the  illustrations. 
The  small  side  gates  of  exit  to  the  zoological  grove  are  closed 
at  sundown,  and  then — on  Sunday  nights  especially — there  is 
a  gleeful  hurrahing  of  picnic  and  school  parties  hastening 
along  the  winding  walks,  lest  the  darkness  cover  some  lone 
and  lost  little  ones  in  the  labyrinth  of  paths.  Grown  people 
have  been  known  to  wander  here  in  bewilderment  many 
hours,  until  they  were  forced  to  confess  their  condition  at  a 
keeper's  lodge,  and  pay  liberally  for  the  services  of  the 
laughing  guide  who  led  them  out.  It  is  said  that  some  secret 
societies  are  accustomed  to  appoint  a  preliminary  promenade 
in  this  park  for  their  blindfolded  candidates  for  initiation. 

The  hills  on  the  south  (the  "  line  of  mountains,"  they  are 
called)  have  their  summits  not  more  than  a  mile  distant  from 
the  edge  of  the  city  proper,  and  we  walk  up  to  them  and  along 
the  ridges  almost  every  day  of  our  sojourn,  with  the  double 
purpose  of  gaining  the  outlook  and  conversing  with  the 
peasants  whom  we  may  chance  to  meet  on  the  road. 

The  harvest  of  hay  and  grain  is  being  carried  in.  ]\Iost  of 
the  workers  in  the  field  are  women.  Many  of  them  are 
bareheaded  ;  all  of  them  are  barefooted.  They  are  glad  to 
make  a  mark,  or  twenty-five  cents,  a  day ;  working  from  day- 
light to  dark.  They  have  no  idea  of  hours  for  their  labors  ; 
at  least  those  with  whom  we  conversed  would  not  give  a 
direct  answer  on  this  pointy  but  simply  said  that  they  worked 
from  morning  till  ni<rht. 

The  crops  hereabouts  are  reported  as  of  more  than  average 


346 


NORTHERN   EUROPE. 


excellence  in  quality  and  quantity — a  great  contrast  to  the 
fields  a  few  hundred  miles  to  the  north.  The  farm  boundaries 
here  are  small,  but  we  were  told  that  (as  elsewhere  through- 
out the  civilized  globe)  land-holding  in  vast  area  is  again 
becoming  the  rule  in  the  German  Empire. 

In  the  suburbs  of  Dresden  there  are  a  large  number  of 
houses  with  long  sloping  roofs,  which  give  two  or  three 
stories  at  the  gable  end  above  the  main  floor.  Through 
these  roofs,  along  the  line  of  the  separate  floor  divisions, 
there  are  dormer  window-openings  of  an  eyebrow  pattern, 
which  suggest  irresistibly  the  thought  of  an  actual  outlooking 
on  the  part  of  the  structure  itself.  The  little  children,  who 
are  strangers  to  such  a  sight,  exclaim  in  surprise  and  delight 
at  this  architectural  phenomenon ;  and  are  provoked,  not  to 
say  disgusted,  because  they  cannot  make  their  temporary 
playmates  who  are  to  the  manner  born  appreciate  the  fact 
that  these  roof  portholes  are  ''very,  very  funny," — as  the 
London  street  singers  would  describe  them.  "  O,  look  at  that 
house !  "  one  and  another  of  the  five-year-olds  would  fairly 
scream  out.  "Look  at  it,  looking  at  us!  It  has  got  six 
eyes ! "  And  I  have  seen  children  of  seven  years  of  age, 
whom  I  have  credited  with  possessing  very  good  sense, 
literally  lie  down  and  roll  in  the  grass  in  a  paroxysm  of 
laughter  on  beholding  these  queer  orifices  with  their  fan-like 
shades. 

As  we  were  nearing  our  hotel,  after  a  long  walk,  some  of 
our  party  remarked  that  it  would  be  very  refreshing  to  meet 
with  a  person  direct  from  San  Francisco.  Just  at  that  mo- 
ment— remarkable  coincidence  ! — we  simultaneously  looked 
across  the  street  and  saw  a  sign  on  which  was  painted  in 
flaming  yellow  letters  these  words :  "  E.  Kamminsky,  for- 
merly of  San  Francisco."  Now,  Kamminsky,  as  appeared  by 
other  and  detailed  notices  of  modest  dimensions,  was  and  is 
a  shoemaker ;  and  he  offers  his  goods  at  the  lowest  price  : 
with  special  discount  to  strangers  from  the  Pacific  Coast! 
All  this  being  a  matter  of  due  exterior  record  and  publica- 
tion, and  our  sentiment  of  homesickness  and  yearning  for 
home  fellowship  being  as  above  indicated,  the  necessary 
result  was  a  literal  race  across  the  street  and  a  dive  into  the 


BERLIN'  TO  DOVER.  347 

shop  of  "E.  Kamminsky,  formerly  of  San  Francisco."  His 
store  is  at  the  corner  of  a  street  (I  have  lost  or  mislaid  his 
number),  having  a  show-window  on  two  sides.  About  12  by 
8  feet  are  the  floor  dimensions  of  his  establishment,  but  his 
walls  are  all  lined  with  cases  which  are  packed  with  goods  ; 
and  we  infer  that  he  must  do  a  large  business,  from  the  fact 
that  he  has  two  fine-looking  lady  clerks,  while  he  is  himself 
fully  capable  of  serving  at  least  three  customers  at  the  same 
time. 

Glad  to  see  us !  Why,  he  said  it  was  no  name  for  it.  He 
did  not  want  to  sell  us  anything — not  he.  The  sight  of  a 
face  that  he  felt  had  been  bathed  in  the  fog  of  San  Francisco 
within  the  year,  did  him  more  good  than  to  sell  one  hundred 
dollars  worth  of  manufactured  shoe  leather  at  2>Z  per  cent, 
profit.  We  desired  to  believe  him.  We  would  have  been 
inclined  to  believe  almost  anything  that  he  told  us— notwith- 
standing the  natural  and  inevitable  suspicion  respecting  trade 
protestations — for  we  were  really  glad  to  see  Kamminsky. 
His  identity  as  a  man  who  had  lived  in  San  Francisco  and 
San  Luis  Obispo  was  unmistakable.  At  once  he  fixed  that 
beyond  a  peradventure ;  not  only  by  mentioning  names  of 
streets  and  prominent  houses  and  the  like,  but  by  giving  us 
indisputably  correct  characterizations  of  people  and  "  sets," 
as  he  called  them,  in  our  metropolis. 

Well,  of  course,  after  the  first  outburst  and  several  repeti- 
tions of  the  hand-shaking  operation,  he  wanted  to  know  what 
we  thought  of  Dresden,  and  we — well,  we  returned  the  in- 
quiry. He  must  know  what  ought  to  be  thought  of  the 
country  in  which  he  was  born,  and  to  which  he  had  returned 
for  business  purposes  ?  We  could  only  give  some  superficial 
observation  and  judgment.  Let  him  begin!  Nowise  loth, 
he  began,  and  he  continued.  We  were  listeners,  and  in- 
terested, amused  and  happy  listeners,  too,  for  about  the  space 
of  an  hour.  I  think  I  could  come  pretty  close  to  reporting 
the  whole  of  his  oration  verbatim,  but  of  course  I  shall  un- 
dertake at  this  writing  nothing  more  than  the  transcription  of 
a  few  sentences. 

"  What  do  I  think  of  Dresden  ?  "  said  he.  "  Fll  tell  you  what 
I  think  of  it."     And  he  settled  or  posed  himself  like  a  clergy- 


348 


NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


man  who  had  just  announced  his  favorite  text.  "  Dresden  is  a 
beautiful  city  ;  and  it  is  full  of  art  galleries  and  museums  and 
monuments  and  what-not ;  and  it  is  beautifully  located  on  the 
Elbe ;  and  we  have  plenty  of  beer  gardens,,  and  wind-instru- 
ment players  till  you  can't  rest ;  and  there  is  a  fiddle  in  every 
garret  and  a  trombone  in  every  basement ;  and  you  cannot 
stand  in  your  front  door  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning  but 
some  English  girl  will  come  along  and  put  her  easel  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  street  and  begin  taking  your  picture. 
But  you  cannot  sell  shoes  here  at  half  the  profit  you  can  in 
San  Francisco.  And  we  have  got  soldiers  here  till  you  can't 
rest.  You  can't  wink  between  the  soldiers  that  you  see  ;  and 
there  is  an  officer  on  every  corner,  and  you  cannot  safely 
'  sauce '  them  if  they  should  run  over  you,  because  they 
would  run  over  you  again  if  you  did.  And  we  have  got 
Dukes  and  Counts  and  Kings;  we  have  got  four  or  five 
Kings  ; — why,  we  have  got  a  King  of  our  own  here  !  You 
can  see  him  down  at  this  cathedral  next  Sunday — if  you  want 
to.  Blue-blood  nobility  is  abundant;  and  between  the 
nobility  and  the  soldiers  and  the  tax-gathering  officials  there 
is  not  much  chance  for  a  poor  man.  I  am  sorry  beyond  any- 
thing I  can  tell  you  that  I  left  San  Francisco.  I  lived  down 
at  San  Luis  Obispo  awhile.  That's  about  as  nice  a  land  as 
any  man  can  put  his  foot  on.  Don't  ask  me  why  I  came 
back.  Don't  you  aggravate  me  !  "  shaking  his  fist  at  us  in 
wrathful  reproof  for  one  interrupting  inquir}^,  and  then  apolo- 
gizing at  some  length.  Then  he  continued.  "  If  you  w^ant 
to  say  anything  about  that  movement  of  mine,  you  kindly 
hire  a  man  to  kick  me  and  then  tell  me  that  I  have  got  my 
just  deserts.  Why  don't  I  return  to  San  Francisco  ?  Well, 
now,  it  is  not  so  easy  to  pull  up  stakes  again  and  get  out  of 
this  country  with  small  change  enough  to  set  up  business 
over  yonder.  1  suppose  I  am  built  in  here  for  life.  I  am 
very  sorry  for  it.  I  don't  think  any  man  ever  left  San  Fran- 
cisco, who  had  lived  there  ten  or  twelve  years,  without  wish- 
ing he  was  back;  until  his  dying  day — when  he  stopped 
wi'shing  altogether.  If  you  ever  hear  of  anybody  sailing  over 
this  way,  for  mercy's  sake  tell  them  to  come  and  see  me. 
Tell  them  I  won't  ask  them  to  buy  a  shoe-string.     Tell  them 


BERLIN  TO  DOVER.  349 

I  would  fire  them  out  of  the  house  if  they  proposed  to  pat- 
ronize me  at  all.  I  just  want  to  look  at  them.  I  have  got  a 
photograph  of  San  Francisco  up  in  my  room.  I  have  got  it 
where  I  can  look  at  it  the  last  thing  at  night  and  the  first 
thing  in  the  morning.  Sometimes  when  we  have  a  good  fog 
here  I  go  down  to  the  river  bank  where  the  mist  is  the  thick- 
est, and  stand  in  it  and  shut  my  eyes  until  I  can  fancy  that  I 
am  in  San  Francisco.  Do  you  know  I  have  got  so  I  can 
appreciate  that  feeling  among  the  Chinese,  about  having  their 
bones  carried  back  to  the  Celestial  Empire  when  they  die. 
I  would  like  to  be  buried  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  anyway." 

Most  of  the  marketing  here  is  done  in  the  public  squares, 
and  to  these  points  for  buyers  and  sellers  of  vegetables  in  the 
early  morning  there  may  be  seen  approaching  processions 
composed  of  men,  women,  dogs  and  carts,  or  a  man  or  a 
woman  yoked  with  a  dog  in  the  traces  in  front  of  a  two- 
wheeled  vehicle  capable  of  carrying  two  hundred  pounds  of 
truck.  Some  of  the  market  women  bring  their  produce  a  dis- 
tance of  three  or  four  miles,  in  huge  baskets  which  they  carry 
upon  their  heads  or  balanced  on  the  end  of  a  yoke-pole. 

Yesterday  we  took  a  stroll  from  the  new  city  to  the  south- 
west, along  the  line  of  the  river,  a  distance  of  two  miles  or 
more  from  our  hotel.  We  had  a  walk  in  a  circling  path  of 
more  than  a  mile,  in  a  dense  wood ;  the  trees  being  about 
thirty  feet  high  on  the  average,  and  the  underbrush  reaching 
up  one-half  that  distance.  Then  we  came  out  into  a  more 
open  forest,  and  crossing  a  stream-bed  or  gulch  about  five  feet 
in  width,  with  banks  that  slope  down  twenty  or  thirty  feet  on 
either  side,  we  came  upon  a  main  road ;  and  walking  still  in  a 
southerly  direction  we  arrived  at  the  gate  of  a  chateau  which 
overlooks  the  Elbe, — the  building  itself  having  an  elevation  of 
probably  150  feet  above  the  water.  We  were  saluted  by  the 
keeper  at  the  lodge,  and  asked  if  we  did  not  wish  to  go  in 
and  see  the  beautiful  grounds.  Of  course  we  were  agreeably 
surprised  by  the  suggestion  and  invitation,  and  we  soon  made 
our  way  around  to  the  front  of  the  building,  which  appeared 
to  us  to  be  about  three  times  the  size  of  Mrs.  A.  T.  Stewart's 
residence,  on  Fifth  avenue,  New  York  City,  or  four  times  as 
large  as  Mrs.  D.  D.  Colton's  dwelling,  on  California  street,  San 


3SO 


NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


Francisco,  and  bearing  some  resemblance  to  each  one  of  these 
structures  with  which  it  is  compared.  From  the  rear  end  of 
the  building  there  is  a  magnificent  view  of  the  Elbe  valley ; 
embracing  the  city  of  Dresden  and  a  number  of  small  villages 
on  the  river  banks,  to  which  pleasure  steamboats  to  and  from 
the  city  regularly  ply.  The  chateau  is  set  back  from  the 
river  about  a  thousand  feet,  and  winding  walks  that  adorn  the 
grounds  lead  to  terraced  levels  on  which  there  are  huge 
temple-fronts  with  Corinthian  pillars, — porticoes  standing  in 
front  of  the  hillside,  and  affording  large,  separate  accommo- 
dations for  pleasure  parties  on  festal  occasions.  We  could 
well  believe  that  when  there  was  a  grand  social  convocation 
at  this  regal  establishment — as  we  were  told  there  would  be 
within  a  few  weeks — the  spectacle  presented  by  the  illumina- 
tion of  all  these  terraced  walks  and  columns  and  cornices  must 
be  exceedingly  beautiful.  There  were  four  broad  avenues 
and  landings  from  the  foundation  of  the  chateau  to  the  level 
of  the  river  bank,  each  one  of  similar  pattern  in  its  arrange- 
ment and  adornment,  yet  each  different  from  the  other  in 
some  noticeable  and  pleasing  particulars.  From  this  point  of 
observation  we  were  shown  the  residence  of  a  German  noble 
who  had  sought  and  won  his  bride  amid  the  beauties  of  Del- 
carlia,  and  we  could  not  but  wonder  whether  we  had  not  seen 
at  Bolange  the  father  of  the  Swedish  heiress,  whose  fair  face 
and  charming  voice  had  captured  the  Count  of  Elbianissimo. 
What  more  shall  I  say  of  the  galleries  and  museums  and 
churches  of  Dresden  1  I  think  it  will  be  comprehensive  to 
state  that  after  a  first  visit  to  the  picture  gallery,  ours  will  be 
accepted  as  a  good  rule : — to  spend  at  least  one  hour  of  each 
day  in  that  portion  of  the  great  Palace  of  Art.  The  youthful 
minister  of  the  Scotch  church  here — a  Rev.  Mr.  Scott — must 
needs  continually  inform  me  that  the  Madonna  of  Raphael 
does  not  equal  the  one  to  be  seen  in  a  gallery  of  Vienna,  but 
as  his  predecessor,  the  Rev.  Laurie  Fogo,  subsequently  de- 
clared with  pleasing  simplicity,  "  It  is  satisfactory ;  he  need 
not  have  mentioned  any  other."  This  wonderful  picture — an 
altar-piece  eight  feet  high  and  six  feet  wide — presents  the 
Virgin  and  Child  in  the  clouds,  with  St.  Sixtus  on  the  one 
hand  and  St.  Barbara  on  the  other.     The  two  cherubs  which 


BERLIN  TO  DOVER. 


^^^ 


are  beneath  have  been  copied  throughout  the  world,  and  alas ! 
have  been  sacrilegiously  made  to  do  service  on  theatrical  ad- 
vertisements and  the  placards  of  the  pork-packers  of  Cincin- 
nati. No  doubt  the  criticism  is  just  that  declares  the  child  to 
be  too  large,  but  all  else  is  perfect.  In  a  room  by  itself  is  this 
picture  placed  —  a  room  probably  forty  feet  square.  On 
three  sides  of  this  chamber  there  are  seats  along  the  wall. 
These  seats,  during  exhibition  time,  are  always  occupied, 
and  no  one  has  a  thought  of  audible  conversation  in  that 
presence ! 


ROYAL  MUSEUM  AND  THEATRE. 


There  is  another  picture  in  this  collection  which  especially, 
and  I  should  say  painfully,  impressed  me,  of  which  I  do  not 
know  that  there  is  any  particular  description  in  any  of  the 
Visitors'  Catalogues.  It  is  a  picture  of  a  company  of  German 
emigrants  about  to  leave  their  home,  or  in  the  act  of  departing 
from  the  old  farm-house.  They  are  evidently  going  on  a  sea- 
voyage,  and  from  some  indications  it  is  probable  that  the  in- 
tention was  to  represent  them  as  about  departing  for  America. 


352 


NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


One  little  feature  in  this  speaking  canvas  let  me  note.  I  think 
I  can  make  an  aiDpreciative  reader,  by  a  very  brief  and  simple 
statement,  feel  something  of  the  thrill  it  sent  into  my  breast. 
In  a  court-yard  full  of  emigrants  an  old  lady  of  more  than 
three  score  years  and  ten  has  taken  a  little  boy,  twelve  or 
fourteen  years  of  age,  to  one  side  and  is  whispering  in  his 
ear.  The  grandam's  countenance  is  partially  concealed  by 
the  necessities  of  her  attitude,  but  the  boy's  face  is  full  upon 
you,  and  there  is  a  partial  revelation  of  the  character  of  the 
injunction  which  the  good  old  woman  is  giving  as  a  parting 


ZWINGER    COURT-YARD. 

sentence  to  the  little  child.  It  is  evidently  the  mother  of  the 
boy  that  stands  off  at  a  distance  of  five  or  six  feet  and  is 
watching  her  child's  face.  The  old  lady's  right  hand  is  lifted 
with  the  palm  extended  towards  the  mother,  as  though  she  had 
warned  her  off,  and  told  her  that  what  she  was  saying  to  the 
child  must  be  its  own  secret  burden  between  him  and  her  and 
the  Omniscient  One ! 

Every  morning  I  must  go  and  see  that  picture. 

We  will  say  that  it  does  not  require  more  than  a  fortnight's 
sojourn  in  Dresden  to  satisfy  an  intelligent  traveller  that  to 


BERLIN  TO  DOVER.  353 

any  one  of  taste  and  refinement  the  capital  of  Saxony  has 
such  attractions  that  it  is  entitled  to  a  first  place  in  a  sum- 
mary of  combined  peace,  comfort  and  luxury.     No  wonder 
that  the  millionaires  of  the  old  world  and  the  new,  who  have 
gone  the  rounds    of  Christendom,  centre  and  settle   there, 
with  the  complacent  announcement  that  they  have  found  the 
spot  which,  taken  all  in  all,  is  the  serenest  and  loveliest  of 
city  homes.     The  first  few  days,  the  first  week,   does  not 
bring  you  completely,  perhaps,  to  this  conclusion  ;  but  on  the 
second  week— the  first  six  days  having  been  presumably  well 
occupied  with  sight-seeing — you  will  have   this  opinion.     I 
have  known  persons  to  make  a  single  season's  stay  in  Cali- 
fornia— in  San  Francisco  especially— and  depart  and  remain 
away,  with  expressions  of  comparative  dislike  for  the  climate 
and  the  style  of  living,  the  society,  etc.;  but  two  seasons'  or 
two  years'  sojourn  v/ith  us  almost  invariably  suffice  to  keep 
the  testing  residents,  or  to  so  attach  them  that  their  life  ever 
after — in  less  desirable  sections— is  shadowed  with  regrets  at 
their  enforced  departure  from  the  Eden  of   the  world,  the 
golden  commonwealth,  the   delightful  sunset  land — as   you 
then  hear  them  claim  and  describe  their  beloved  California. 
Certainly,  on  your  entrance,  you  are  charmed  with  Dresden  ; 
yet  you  think  you  might  prefer  Berlin  as  a  lifelong  home  ; 
but  with  the  period   for   making    acquaintance  with  things 
animate  and  inanimate  which  I  have  prescribed,  you  appreci- 
ate enough  of  its  own  peculiar,  incomparable  fascinations  to 
understand  the  reasons  of  the  selection  which  thousands  of 
artists  and  cultivated  men  of  lesiure  of  every  sort  have  made: 
— their  choice  of  a  final  resting  point  on  this   little  planet, 
after  having  looked  over  and  duly  considered  the  "  eligible 
places  "  on  the  globe. 

And  now  I  can  take  a  short  retrospect  and  find  agreement 
with  the  judgment  of  all  our  little  party— a  unanimous  vote 
being  had — ^declaring  that  with  a  view  to  economy  of  "  mere 
living  "  and  advantage  in  purchasing  the  simple  articles  of 
dress,  Dresden  is  somewhat  preferable  to  Berlin,  and  by  a 
considerable  percentage  better  than  Paris.  And  as  to  those 
things  which  more  particularly  affect  the  health  of  the  stran- 
ger,  the   French  capital  is  inferior  to  its  little  Saxon  rival. 


354 


NORTHERN   EUROPE. 


The  water,  the  milk,  the  wines,  the  beer,  the  coffee — as  by 
the  average  of  purchase  and  test  considered — are  purer  and 
more  palatable  in  Dresden  than  in  Paris ;  while  for  study  in 
the  fine  arts  and  in  some  of  the  sciences,  Paris  has  very  little 
advantage  or  few  added  opportunities  and  facilities  to  speak 
about  and  proclaim.  And  all  this  without  detracting  from  the 
force  and  unchallenged  warmth  of  our  chance  acquaintance, 
who  from  his  California  standpoint  was  unquestionably  justi- 
fied in  much  of  that  which  he  amusingly  declaimed. 

Usually  the  journey  from  Dresden  or  Berlin  to  Paris  is 
"  broken  "  once  or  twice  at  least,  by  the  American  traveller ; 
the  most  frequently  chosen  stop-over  places  being  Liepsic  or 
Hanover  and  the  City  of  Cologne.  From  Cologne  the  cus- 
tom is  to  go  direct  to  the  French  capital  by  rail  (a  few  stop- 
ping at  Aix  k-Chappelle),  or  via  the  river  Rhine  to  Coblenz 
or  Mayence,  or  beyond.  It  is  called  "  one  day-light  journey  " 
from  Berlin  or  Dresden  to  Cologne ;  but  as  the  trains  from 
either  place  do  not  start  until  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
the  arrival  at  the  great  cathedral  city  by  the  regular  express  is 
appointed  at  nine  o'clock  ;  so  that  there  is  a  margin  of  from 
one  to  three  hours  of  night  drive, — according  to  the  season. 

From  Dresden,  the  road  by  which  you  are  ticketed,  on  the 
horseshoe  route  indicated,  runs  first  to  Leipsic,  the  famous 
printing  town  of  the  world.  Here  Baedecker  has  his  estab- 
lishment; and  if  there  was  no  other  publication  to  give  dis- 
tinction to  this  place,  for  the  travellers  who  are  called  upon 
to  discriminate  as  to  guide-books,  this  would  be  sufficient  for 
a  red-letter  mark.  But  during  more  than  a  century  Leipsic 
has  been  noted  for  its  cheap  publications  of  every  descrip- 
tion. At  the  present  time  the  writings  of  the  principal  En- 
glish and  American  authors  are  sent  from  the  presses  of  that 
city  at  a  cost  to  the  purchaser  of  less  than  one-half  the  sum 
required  in  England  or  the  United  States.  On  the  covers 
of  these  publications  there  is  conspicuously  printed  a  request 
not  to  carry  the  book  into  British  lines  ;  the  assertion  being 
that  while  English  authors  have  been  paid  for  the  continental 
circulation,  which  their  works  will  have  from  Leipsic,  it  is  not 
in  the  contract  to  permit  them  to  be  deposited  elsewhere. 
Looking  over  a  shelf  ten  feet  long,  packed  close  with  the 


BERLIN   TO  DOVER. 


355 


paper-bound   books    of   this    description,    I    noticed    among 
'■'■British  Authors,''  Bret  Harte,  W.  D.   Howells,  John  Bur- 
roughs, Mark  Twain,  and  Mrs.  Harriet  Beecher  Stowe.     A 
'copy  of  a  most  appetizing  book  on  American  Humorists,  by 


'*.;>>. 'i'^^VV'".  *  >' 


REV.    H.    R.    HAWEIS. 


our  esteemed  friend  Rev.   H.  R.  Ilaweis,  of  London,  was 
also  on  the  latest  rack. 

Mr.  Haweis  is  one  of  the  most  popular  preachers  in  Lon- 
don.    His  church  (St.  James,  \\'estmoreland  street,  Mar^'le- 


356  ^^OJi  THERN  £  UROPE. 

bone,  London)  is  packed  at  every  sen'ice,  when  it  is  known 
that  he  is  to  occupy  the  pulpit.  He  is  a  charming  writer, 
and  an  eloquent  and  inspiring  speaker.  He  has  been  largely 
instrumental  in  drawing  attention  to  the  merits  of  American 
authors,  some  of  whom  would  have  had  as  yet  a  scant  audi- 
ence in  Great  Britain  but  for  his  happy  paragraph  or  extended 
chapters  of  complimentar}'  introduction.  As  editor  and 
author,  and  as  an  English  gentleman  of  great  hospitality 
towards  those  of  our  people  with  whom  he  becomes 
acquainted,  he  is  eminently  entitled  to  the  cordial  welcome 
of  large  audiences  in  this  country. 

So  far  as  our  observation  extended  we  found  the  statement 
of  our  Consul,  Mr.  John  D.  Mason,  with  respect  to  the  ac- 
commodations on  the  Dresden  trains  from  that  cit}'  to  the 
German  border  quite  correct.  For  two  and  a  half  cents  a 
mile,  we  had  what  we  considered  far  better  accommodations 
than  are  afforded  on  our  California  routes  at  Central  Pacific 
extortionate  prices.  And  for  a  considerable  portion  of  the 
distance  between  Dresden  and  Cologne,  we  had  a  large  and 
elegantly  furnished  compartment  all  to  ourselves,  although 
we  were  assured  that  it  was  what  was  called  a  busy  portion  of 
the  year,  with  respect  to  passenger  traffic. 

Between  Dresden  and  the  first  important  station,  we  were 
fortunate  enough  to  have  for  companions  Mr.  Charles  M. 
Kinsell.  of  Columbus,  Georgia,  and  his  wife.  One  year  ago 
they  removed  from  Georgia  to  the  neighborhood  of  Dresden  ; 
hiring  a  partly  furnished  house  with  the  intention  of  there  re- 
siding until  they  could  make  a  proper  selection  and  purchase 
of  a  permanent  home.  They  had  left  the  United  States  with 
the  expectation  of  not  returning  ;  but  in  less  than  a  year 
man  and  wife  were  endeavoring  to  conceal  from  each  other 
the  degree  of  their  homesickness.  Each  resolved  that  the 
other  should  be  the  first  to  suggest  that  they  should  return 
to  their  adopted  State.  The  firm  endurance  of  the  masculine 
martyr  proved  the  stronger  of  the  two  ;  and  on  one  Spring 
morning  I\Irs.  Kinsell  laid  down  her  knife  and  fork  at  the 
breakfast  table  and  said,  ''  There,  Charles  !  I  have  come  to 
the  end  of  my  patience  about  one  thing."  "What  is  that, 
my  love  ]  "     "  Well,  I  have  been  waiting  for  the  last  two  or 


BERLIN   TO   DOVER. 


357 


three  months  to  hear  you  say  that,  instead  of  buying  a  home- 
stead here,  we  had  better  turn  right  around  in  the  middle  of 
the  Elbe  and  go  back  where  we  belong.  And  I  know  that 
these  have  been  your  sentiments  during  all  that  time.  But 
you  are  just  that  mean  sort  of  a  man  that  you  would  stay 
here  a  whole  year,  and  do  anything  (except  buy  a  place)  to 
make  me  believe  that  you  had  no  idea  of  being  homesick ; 
but  you  can't  fool  me."  "  Well,  my  dear,  a  candid  confession 
is  good  for  the  soul,  and  productive  of  harmony  in  a  small 
family  ;  and  since  you  have  had  the  frankness  to  own  up,  I 
will  admit  that  it  did  occur  to  me  that  possibly  it  might  be  a 
good  thing  for  us  to  reconsider  our  original  intention." 
"  O,  what  a  tantalizing  way  you  have  of  getting  around  the 
fact !  But  no  matter  ;  /  am  not  going  to  stay  here.  You 
can  get  a  deed  for  three  or  four  homesteads,  if  you  like  ;  / 
am  going  to  take — if  necessary  in  order  to  get  home — a  third- 
class  passage  back  to  old  Georgia.  Now  that's  settled.  And 
it's  only  a  question  with  me  of  a  few  days."  '"I  told  my 
wife,"  said  Mr.  Kinsell,  in  his  bland  and  pleasant  manner — 
rubbing  his  hands  slowly — [I  could  see  that  his  complacency 
must  be  exasperating  at  times] — "I  told  my  wife,"  repeated 
Mr.  Kinsell,  "  that  if  she  would  be  patient  till  Fall,  on  the 
first  day  of  September  we  would  move  out  of  our  premises 
and  start  for  the  old  plantation  ;  and  she  can't  deny  right 
here  and  now  but  what  I  have  substantially  kept  my  word." 

With  this  most  agreeable  introduction — so  well  calculated 
to  put  us  on  thoroughly  intimate  grounds — we  improved  the 
time  very  jealously  in  the  comparatively  short  partnership 
portion  of  our  day's  trip,  between  Dresden  and  Leipsic,  in 
conversation  with  our  new-found  friends. 

We  noticed  along  the  whole  line,  from  our  starting  point  to 
Hanover  and  beyond,  that  most  of  the  harvest  work  was  be- 
ing done  by  women,  and  that  these  w'omen  wore  flaming  red 
petticoats,  and  often  had  a  checkered  handkerchief  on  their 
heads  ;  their  whole  costume  amounting  to  a  uniform  remind- 
ing us  forcibly  of  a  spectacle  so  familiar  in  the  Dalecarlian 
section  of  Sweden. 

The  railroad  fairly  runs  over  the  grand  old  city  of  Han- 
over, and  from  the  back  you  have  only  glimpses  of  porlions 


3S8  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

of  that  long  Avenue  of  Limes,  which  is  said  by  the  Hano- 
verians to  be,  as  a  drive  and  promenade,  without  equal  for 
charms  in  all  the  cities  of  Europe.  The  station  is  a  double 
structure,  our  train  arriving  in  the  second  story,  and  having 
its  complete  suite  of  rooms  for  ticketing  and  refreshment 
upon  that  floor. 

We  arrived  at  Cologne  between  9  and  10  o'clock;  making 
the  last  150  miles  of  distance  at  the  rate  of  40  miles  an  hour, 
liy  moonlight  and  gaslight  we  got  our  first  glimpse  of  the 
historic  and  beautiful  Rhine ;  and  for  two  hours  after  our 
arrival  we  found  ourselves,  in  company  with  many  other 
passengers,  sauntering  along  the  streets  that  edge  upon  the 
water,  or  taking  our  views  from  the  points  of  bridges  and  on 
housetops,  to  which  we  are  escorted  by  active  and  communi- 
cative guides. 

The  principal  hotel  at  Cologne  is  the  Hotel  du  Nord,  the 
court-yard  of  which  is  said  to  surpass  in  excellence  all  others 
of  similar  arrangement — (in  immediate  connection  with  or 
enclosed  with  the  hotel) — both  as  respects  the  gardens  and 
the  corridors  which  suiTOund  it.  The  open  space  is  probably 
60  by  100  feet,  and  in  the  centre  of  a  series  of  fiower-beds 
there  is  a  fountain  of  peculiar  and  veiy  diffusive  spray.  The 
water,  in  shower  and  cascades,  is  illuminated  by  colored 
lamps,  producing  the  effect  of  enchantment.  Double  tiers  of 
tables  for  refreshments  are  set  on  the  broad  piazzas  which 
border  the  enclosure.  The  rooms  are  comfortable,  but  with 
respect  to  furniture  they  will  not  bear  favorable  comparison 
with  the  accommodations  of  the  kind  furnished  the  traveller 
in  other  parts  of  Northern  Germany  or  in  the  Scandinavian 
countries  which  we  had  visited.  The  charges  are  25  per 
cent,  more  than  in  Berlin. 

At  peep  of  day  we  were  up  to  see  the  cathedral,  of  whose 
proportions  we  could  only  gain  a  limited  idea  by  our  observa- 
tions during  the  night  previous.  There  was  no  bustle,  no 
uproar  in  the  city  at  the  time  of  our  rising,  save  that  caused 
by  the  incoming  and  outgoing  trains  ;  but  when  we  arrived  at 
the  cathedral  w-e  found  that  mass  was  being  said  in  one  of 
the  chapels,  and  that  not  less  than  a  thousand  persons,  mostly 
women,  were  kneeling  before  the  Eastern  shrine.     Like  other 


BERLIN   TO  DOVER. 


Z%^ 


:.6o  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


o 


visitors,  who  at  this  early  hour  had  sought  to  get  a  glimpse  at 
the  great  church,  we  entered  one  of  the  side  doors.  That 
appeared  to  be  the  only  place  for  entrance  at  the  time.  No 
sooner  was  mass  concluded,  and  we  sought  to  make  our  exit 
by  the  same  aperture,  than  we  were  surrounded  by  a  number 
of  would-be  guides,  and  on  our  parleying  with  them,  and  at 
the  same  time  walking  towards  our  expected  point  of  depart- 
ure, we  found  that  the  door  was  closed  !  \\'e  must  needs 
walk  the  whole  length  of  the  nave  before  we  could  escape 
from  the  importimities  of  these  clamorous  acquaintances.  Of 
course  the  situation  was  one  that  a  traveller  of  any  ex- 
perience would  appreciate  in  a  moment.  The  best  thing 
to  do  was  to  utilize  one  of  these  young  men  imme- 
diately. Otherwise  we  would  consume  the  entire  time  oc- 
cupied in  walking  down  the  length  of  the  church  in 
listening  to  solicitations.  Let  us  make  the  bargain  now 
and  take  the  benefit  of  companionship  by  way  of  direction, 
at  once  and  forthwith, 

I  shall  not  attempt  to  describe  the  interior  or  exterior  of 
this  maGfnificent  edifice.  Its  dimensions  and  its  main  charac- 
teristic  are  familiar  to  most  of  my  readers.  And  I  presume 
there  are  few  persons  of  intelligence  who  are  not  aware  of  the 
remarkable  fact  that  for  several  centuries  this  great  building 
stood  in  a  state  of  incompleteness,  and  that  it  is  only  within 
the  last  half  centuiy  that  steady  work  has  been  going  on  in 
the  way  of  finishing  its  walls  and  rearing  its  majestic  towers ; 
and  that  within  the  last  quarter  of  a  centuiy  the  famous  crane 
which  stood  for  over  two  hundred  years  on  one  of  the  towers 
was  taken  down,  and  work  continued  and  completed  from  its 
ancient  standpoint. 

After  you  have  looked  at  the  building  from  the  principal 
corners  of  observation,  at  the  suggestion  and  with  the  counsel 
and  descriptions  of  your  guide,  you  are  besought  to  enter  the 
celebrated  Cologne  water  establishment,  where  there  is  a 
model  (said  to  have  cost  12,000  marks)  of  the  great  church, 
on  free  exhibition.  Engravings  of  the  cathedral  in  its  incom- 
plete state — fifty  years  ago — are  hung  upon  the  wall.  Cer- 
tainly this  pattern  is  worth  a  mark's  profit  on  a  bottle  of  the 
scented  water,  and  you  expect  the  hint  will  shortly  be  given 


BERLIN  TO  DOVER. 


361 


C/3 
W 

o 

o 
o 

tr' 
O 
O 
!z! 
W 

o 

> 

H 

W 
U 

> 


to  make  the  purchase  that  is  supposed  to  be  equivalent  for  an 
admission  price  at  the  door. 

It  was  yet  early  when  we  stood  in  front  of  this  agency ;  the 
shutters  had  not  been  taken  down,  and  our  guide  had  to  rap 


362  NORTHERN   EUROPE. 

violently  on  the  door  in  order  to  arouse  the  inmates.  Two 
frowzy-headed,  dirty  faced,  altogether  slovenly-looking  girls 
came  to  the  door,  uniting  their  strength  for  the  purpose  of 
unbolting  and  unlocking.  After  we  had  passed  around  the 
model  once  or  twice,  the  tallest  of  these  slatterns  came  to  the 
front  of  the  little  counter  that  runs  close  to  the  door,  and  be- 
tween it  and  the  room  where  the  model  is  placed,  and  desired 
— through  our  guide — to  know  if  we  wished  to  purchase  half 
a  dozen  or  a  dozen  bottles,  and  how  we  would  have  them  sent  ? 
When  we  insisted  that  we  should  confine  our  buying  to  a  single 
quart,  and  that  contained  in  the  most  convenient  vessel  she 
could  exhibit,  she  did  not  hesitate  to  express  her  disappoint- 
ment or  disgust,  whichever  it  was  (or  both),  at  our  parsimony. 
It  was  usual  for  visitors,  she  said — especially  Americans^ — 
with  great  emphasis  on  the  national  noun — to  buy  a  box.  We 
protested  that  we  were  already  overloaded  with  baggage,  espe- 
cially in  the  hand-satchel  line  ;  we  sought  to  mollify  her  by  a 
careful  restatement  of  this  fact;  instructing  our  guide  that 
our  deep  regrets  be  expressed  because  we  could  not  take 
along  with  us  a  few  hogsheads  of  this  standard  and  incompa- 
rably delicious  perfume.  But  all  to  no  purpose, — so  far  as 
this  lady  of  Cologne  was  concerned.  She  rolled  up  our  little 
jug  with  an  air  of  injured  innocence,  bit  the  string  with  which 
she  fastened  it  as  if  she  had  our  thumb  between  her  teeth, 
and  literally  tossed  the  article  into  our  hands ;  muttering  some- 
thing which  we  could  not  interpret  and  which  was  not  clearly 
explained  to  us,  but  which  we  are  strongly  of  opinion  was  in 
the  nature  of  not  wishing  us  to  go  to  Paradise.  We  were  glad 
to  get  out  of  this  museum  of  models  and  samples. 

We  met  at  Cologne  one  of  our  Stockholm  acquaintances, 
Froken  Emma  Hultgren.  We  learned  from  her  of  a  hotel  in 
Paris  —  "modest  and  unpretending" — where  Swedish  and 
English  are  spoken  by  the  landlord  and  most  of  his  sen^ants. 
So  it  happened  that  we  came  from  the  Rhine  to  the  Hotel  de 
Paris  et  d'' Osborne.  This  inn  is  located  near  the  Tuileries 
Gardens. 

On  the  evening  of  our  arrival  in  Paris,  there  was  a  fete  in 
progress  at  the  corner  of  the  public  grounds,  and  closely  ad- 
jacent to  our  apartments.    While  we  were  thus  enabled  at  the 


BERLIN   TO  DOVER.  ^J^^ 

outset  to  have  a  very  lively  view  of  the  kind  of  entertainments 
which  do  most  satisfy  and  enrapture  the  French  citizen,  we 
were  far  from  regretting  the  hour — three  days  after  our  arri- 
val— when  the  booths  were  closed  and  the  harlequins  folded 
their  tents  and  moved  away.  Moreover,  it  seemed  like  a 
desecration  of  this  garden-park  to  set  such  a  tumultuous  crowd 
of  boisterous  circus  performers  in  any  corner.  But  here  was 
the  French  citizen  surely.  Not,  indeed,  the  highly  cultivated 
gentleman ;  not  the  artist  or  the  scholar.  But  the  common 
people  do  love  these  antics  and  do  enjoy  these  exhibitions 
with  a  degree  of  ardor  that  amounts  to  enthusiasm.  There  is 
no  mistake  about  this.  I  have  stood  in  a  group  of  persons, 
certainly  not  of  the  lower  order,  who  were  engaged  in  watch- 
ing the  somersaults  of  what  I  should  consider  a  veiy  ordinary 
leaper.  But  at  every  double  throw  of  his  body  they  became 
so  wild  in  their  applause  (clapping  their  hands  till  it  seemed 
as  if  the  palms  would  be  blistered,  and  rapping  on  tables  or 
posts  with  their  canes  until  their  sticks  were  shattered,  and 
shouting  at  the  top  of  their  voices)  that  it  was  some  time 
before  I  could  realize  that  what  I  saw  in  the  ring  was  the  only 
provocation  for  these  violent  demonstrations  on  the  part  of 
these  nativ^e  spectators. 

In  the  first  week  of  this  fete  there  was  given  an  entertain- 
ment for  the  benefit  of  the  sufferers  by  the  recent  earthquake 
at  Ischia,  which  I  was  told  netted  over  10,000  francs.  On 
the  Sunday  after  our  arrival  there  was  a  fete  to  be  given  for 
the  benefit  of  the  poor  of  Paris,  at  which  it  was  announced 
Madame  Sarah  Bernhardt  would  act  and  Miss  Christine  Nils- 
son  would  sing.  As  a  part  of  the  advertising  programme, 
there  was  on  Thursday  an  Ann^.uncement  that  Mile.  Bern- 
hardt had  committed  suicide  and  a  Denial  in  extras  the  day 
preceding  the  benefit.  It  happened  that  during  the  Saturday 
night  previous  a  violent  storm  arose,  which  tore  the  canvas 
from  the  sides  of  the  great  theatre-stage  whicli  had  been 
erected  for  open-air  performances,  and  at  which  the  two  dis- 
tinguished artists  were  to  have  appeared.  Notwithstanding 
the  fact  that  the  wind  continued  at  its  highest  rate  of  velocity 
during  the  entire  day,  not  less  than  15,000  francs  were  real- 
ized for  the  object  specified ;  and  the  very  fury  of  the  tempest 


364 


NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


ARCH    OF    TRIUMPH. 


seemed  to  add  to  the  enjoyment  and  hilarity  of  a  good  pro- 
portion of  the  immense  multitude  that  crowded  within  the 
gates. 

Twice  each  week,  coaches  call  at  all  the  principal  hotels  for 


BERLIN    TO  DOVER. 


365 


persons  who  may  desire  to  go  the  "rounds"  of  the  city  and 
"  see  the  sights," — so  advertised  in  one  English  circula-r ; — 
and  on  other  days  a  four-horse  coach,  witli  competent  guide, 
interpreters  and  messengers,  leaves  for  Fontainebleau.  The 
charge  is  very  moderate,  and  the  trip  is  worth  taking  as  a 
preUminary  or  preface-sketching  tour  of  observation.  After 
that  one  may  select  the  points  that  most  interest  him  and  go 
without  hesitation — with  the  sufficient  knowledge  obtained  in 
the  run  around  — directly  to  his  chosen  places,  without  the  in- 
tervention or  cost  of  a  guide. 

The  residence  of  a  Nevada  Bonanza  millionaire  is  directly 
opposite  the  Arc  dc  Triomphe,  and  is,  perhaps,  the  most  eli- 
gibly situated  of  any  of  the  dwellings  that  from  the  five  angles 
may  be  said  to  face  this  commanding  structure.  It  was  a 
matter  of  common  gossip  when  we  arrived  in  Paris  that  "  a 
rich  American  speculator"  had  offered  a  hundred  thousand 
francs  to  the  city  to  be  permitted,  on  an  occasion  of  one  of 
his  parties,  to  illuminate  the  Arc  de  Triomphe.  [Such  little 
personal  matters  are  often  prominent  topics  of  conversation 
in  European  cities,  when  there  is  not  a  word  about  them  in 
the  newspapers.]  The  host  of  the  evening  agreed  to  pay  all 
the  expenses,  of  course,  connected  with  the  fitting  of  the  lamps, 
and  so  forth.  But  the  authorities  applied  to,  though  said  to 
be  sorely  in  need  of  funds,  declined  the  offer.  There  are 
four  other  wealthy  persons  who  have  their  "  grand  home  "  ad- 
jacent to  this  crowning  spot,  and  it  was  argued  that  if  one 
was  given  the  privilege  it  must  be  accorded  to  the  others ; 
and  would  it  not  eventually  serve  to  bring  contempt  upon  the 
structure,  thus  used  as  a  beacon  pile  for  the  millionaires, 
whose  parlor  hearthstones  were  facing  its  columns  .-' 

In  conversation  with  an  officer  in  charge  of  the  grounds 
and  buildings  of  the  Invalides,  on  the  occasion  of  our  visit- 
ing the  tomb  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte,  as  well  as  when  talking 
to  many  of  the  crippled  or  infirm  soldiers  who  stood  about, 
we  found  that  there  was  the  same  devoted  love  and  admira- 
tion for  the  memory  of  Napoleon — if  we  could  judge  by 
intensity  of  expression— that  existed  two  generations  ago. 
Still  he  remains  to  the  soldiers  of  France  not  only  the  most 
wonderful   marshal   that   ever   led  hosts  to   battle,    but  the 


366 


NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


TOMB    OF     NAPOLEON    BONAPARTE. 


BERLIN  TO  DOVER.  367 

noblest  ruler,  and,  so  far  as  they  can  judge  or  comprehend, 
the  wisest  legislator  that  the  world  has  ever  seen. 

We  sought  to  attend  the  funeral  mass  at  the  Church  of  the 
Bonapartes,  as  it  is  popularly  called,  sung  for  the  repose  of 
the  soul  of  the  late  Comte  de  Chambord.  Patiently  we 
stood  in  line  an  hour  and  a  half,  in  the  vain  hope  of  getting 
within  the  walls  of  the  sacred  edifice  for  the  purpose  of 
viewing  the  ceremonies  and  hearing  the  music.  Three  or 
four  hundred  anxious  persons  were  our  companions  in  suffer- 
ing and  pastime  ;  and  while  we  had  to  regret  the  fact  of  being 
barred  out,  and  still  more  to  deplore  the  personal  effects  of  our 
prolonged  standing  in  a  broiling-hot  sun,  the  attendance  was 
not  without  profit.  We  opened  up  conversation  at  several 
points  along  the  line,  shifting  backwards  for  that  purpose  (to 
which  there  was  no  objection)  when  we  found  that  it  was 
certain  that  we  could  not  enter.  We  opened  up  conversation 
with  respect  to  the  sentiments  of  the  people  generally  on  the 
royal  question.  Most  of  those  in  line,  so  far  as  we  could 
ascertain  or  infer,  were  simply  curious  to  see  and  to  hear, 
without  any  sentiment  of  bereavement  or  any  imperial  affilia- 
tion or  desires.  But  some  of  our  chance-made  acquaintances 
— French  gentlemen,  who  became  veiy  communicative  when 
we  informed  them,  as  we  took  great  care  to  do,  that  we  were 
Americans — were  very  outspoken  and  emphatic  in  their 
declarations  of  favor  for  a  monarchical  system  of  government, 
and  some  were  unsparing  in  their  denunciation  of  the  ad- 
ministration of  the  Republic.  All  these  gave  utterance  to 
one  criticism  on  the  late  Count.  They  regretted  his  uncon- 
querable obstinacy  ;  because  he  would  not  take  the  colors 
and  the  arms  after  the  enforced  abdication  of  Napoleon  III., 
on  the  acceptance  of  which  he  would  have  been  enthroned. 
Some,  who  seemed  to  have  been  numbered  among  his  more 
steadfast  adherents,  declared  that  it  almost  shook  their  alle- 
giance to  him  when  he  persisted  in  this  unwise  and,  under  the 
circumstances,  as  they  considered,  absurd  determination.  As 
for  the  Prince  dc  Paris,  I  did  not  hear  a  single  favorable 
opinion.  One  Frenchman  said,  in  a  way  peculiar  to  his 
countrymen — giving  treble  emphasis  by  a  gesture — tossing 
the  back  of  his  hands  upwards  rapidly  three  or  four  times : 


368 


NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


"  He  is  light,  he  is  light,  he  is  light !  "  I  felt  inclined  and 
even  anxious  to  inform  him  about  our  western  vernacular, 
wherein  we  speak  of  an  individual  being  "  ver}'^  light  timber." 
But  I  was  afraid  that  the  seriousness  of  the  occasion  would 
not  tolerate  such  an  explanation  in  the  judgment  of  this  gen- 
tleman of  refinement  and  taste  and,  most  evidently,  intense 
imperialism. 

As  to  some  of  the  places  to  which  ever)'body  is  said  to  go 
— much  of  the  history  of  which  is  common  learning — let  me 


PALAIS   ROYAL,    PARIS. 


name  for  note  one  : — the  Palais  Royal.  Here  are  a  series  of 
shops  on  the  ground  floor,  in  enclosed  squares,  and  a  series 
of  restaurants  above.  The  articles  in  the  shop  are  priced  at 
about  25  per  cent,  more  than  the  same  articles  can  be  pur- 
chased for  elsewhere,  in  this  same  cit}^  The  restaurants 
here  are  not  first-class,  while  the  tariff  is  often  extortionate. 

The  best  eating-places  in  the  city,  all  things  considered, 
for  the  ordinary'  restaurant  patronizer,  are  the  Duval  estab- 
lishments.   There  you  are  given  a  general  diet  and  drink  pro- 


BERLIN   TO  DOVER. 


369 


370  NORTHERN   EUROPE. 

gramme  as  you  enter  the  door,  for  one,  two,  three,  four  or 
more  persons — as  your  company  may  number.  This  catalogue 
of  the  articles  that  are  supplied  at  the  table,  you  hand  to  the 
person  who  attends  upon  yourself  or  your  party,  and  who 
marks  upon  it  by  tally  points  only  the  number  of  plates  of 
any  particular  article  which  you  may  order.  Included  in  this 
enumeration  is  the  number  of  napkins  which  you  use — five 
centimes  for  each.  With  his  ideas  of  cash-arithmetic,  the 
American  who  has  not  shaken  off  his  home  calculation  tables, 
as  he  sees  the  large  centime  numbers  increase  on  his  list,  is 
naturally  inclined  to  be  apprehensive  of  an  immense  bill  at 
the  conclusion  of  the  entertainment,  and  is  proportionately 
surprised  when  the  aggregate  comes  out  at  a  low  figure  in  our 
dollars  and  cents.  You  pay  to  the  lady  who  serves  you; 
and  she  brings  you  back  that  programme  or  catalogue, 
stamped  by  the  cashier,  whose  desk  is  at  a  counter  on  the 
floor  where  you  eat.  This  paper  you  return  to  the  auditor 
and  door-keeper, — the  same  person  who  saluted  you  and  tick- 
eted you  at  your  entrance.  If  you  do  not  have  this  paper 
with  you  when  you  shall  have  arrived  at  the  outer  door,  you 
will  liot  be  permitted  to  pass  out  until  inquiry  and  ascertain- 
ment is  made  as  to  whether  you  have  paid  your  bill !  I  am 
told  the  proprietor  of  this  establishment  (who  looks  very 
much  like  an  ex-mayor  of  the  city  of  San  Francisco,  now 
or  lately  residing  in  one  of  our  southern  California  coun- 
ties) started  business  in  this  place  with  less  than  500  francs 
for  capital,  and  that  to-day  he  is  the  owner  of  not  less 
than  500,000  francs,  with  "establishments"  in  every  part  of 
the  city. 

When  we  saw,  by  chance,  at  a  distance  from  a  shop  at 
which  we  were  purchasing  some  trifles,  the  name  of  Maison 
Dorde,  over  doors  and  on  windows,  we  made  haste  to  look  at 
that  building — the  alleged  model  and  pattern  of  a  similar 
establishment  on  Kearney  street,  in  the  city  of  San  Francisco. 
And  on  the  following  day — just  for  the  sake  of  old  memories 
and  future  retrospect — we  dined  at  the  Maison  Doree.  It  was 
an  excellent  dinner  ;  but  we  shall  dine  there  no  more.  If  the 
prices  at  the  Maison  Doree  in  San  Francisco  were  in  any  wise 
approximate  to  those  on  the  way-bill  at  its  forerunner,  I  am 


BERLIN    TO   DOVER. 


Z1^ 


GRAND    STAIRWAY   OF    OPERA    HOUSE. 


372 


NORTHERN  EUROPE. 


of  the  opinion  that  my  friend  Leon  Dingeon  would  have  a 
very  limited  number  of  patrons. 

We  attended  at  the  Grand  Opera  House  during  the  perform- 
ance of  The  Hicgiienot.  The  advice  is  given  from  all  quarters 
that  if  you  have  not  time  to  make  more  than  one  visit  to  this 
magnificent  temple  of  music,  you  had  better  sacrifice  one  of 
the  acts — forego  the  pleasure  of  listening  to  the  introductory, 
or  second  scene — for  the  purpose  of  examining  the  corridors 
and  staircases.  The  advice  should  be  repeated  until  it  is 
known  to  every  visitor.  It  will  be  readily  accepted  ;  the 
more  so  if,  as  on  the  occasion  of  our  attendance,  the  perform- 
ance be  slovenly  in  orchestral  accompaniment,  and  not  more 
than  fairly  good  on  the  stage. 

The  grandest  thing  about  the  opera  house  of  Paris,  after  all 
is  examined  and  said,  is  the  grand  staircase.  If  I  were  to 
give  advice  in  the  premises,  I  would  say  that,  unless  some 
great  singer  or  some  star  company  was  engaged,  the  tourist 
who  cannot  spare  more  than  one  night  to  visit  the  building 
should  donate  most  of  his  time  to  walking  in  the  foyer  and 
up  and  down  that  splendid  flight  of  steps.  I  have  seen  the 
interior  of  many  amphitheatres,  which,  although  not  so  spa- 
cious, gave  me  just  as  much  satisfaction  as  this  concert-room 
interior ;  but  that  staircase  is  worthy  of  the  extreme  Parisian 
eulogistic  phrase  —  as  Carlyle  translated  it — "  the  superla- 
tively superb."  I  was  not  surprised  to  hear  it  said,  that  art- 
ists and  architects  have  been  known  to  pay,  for  the  second 
and  third  time,  an  admission  fee,  that  would  take  them  past 
the  lower  hall,  for  the  sole  purpose  of  re-studying  this  beauti- 
ful entrance,  with  all  its  "  effects  "  under  the  artificial  light 
that  is  ablaze  during  an  Opera  evening. 

Whatever  may  have  been  the  sum  of  his  faults,  political 
and  personal,  certain  it  is  that  no  visitor  to  Paris  can  fail  to 
experience  a  sense  of  gratitude  to  Napoleon  Third,  for  that 
which  is  there  unanimously  credited  to  him  by  the  native 
resident — for.  the  great  public  street  improvements  chronicled 
in  his  reign  ; — and  especially  will  this  sentiment  be  large  and 
throbbing  in  the  breast  of  a  traveller  who  has  been  sojourn- 
ing for  a  shorter  or  longer  period  previous  in  the  mighty 
metropolis   of   Britain.     O,  for  a  Louis  Napoleon,  with  his 


BERLIN    TO    DOVER. 


373 


'iiiiiiiiniiiiiiii'ii^ii 


H 

K 
W 

M 

<3 
W 

w 

2 
3 
o 
w 

O 
*^ 

!> 


374  NORTHERN   EUROPE. 

Baron  Haussmann,  for  one  year  only — if  no  more — in  charge 
of  the  street-department  of  London  !  How  they  would  push 
St,  Andrews  street  plump  into  Ludgate  Circus !  How  they 
Mould  open  up  an  air-lme  avenue  from  Trafalgar  Square  to 
the  corner  of  Oxford  street  and  Tottenham  Court  Road ! 
How  pitilessly  they  would  by  straight  and  broad  street  con- 
nections bring  down  St.  John's  road  to  the  banks  of  the 
Thames !  From  the  little  I  know  of  Paris,  as  it  was  before 
the  days  of  Napoleon  IH.  and  as  it  is  now,  I  believe  that 
many  sojourners  have  with  intense  power-coveting  declared 
that  they  could  revise  the  map  of  London,  under  the  sup- 
posed road-monarchy,  with  immense  satisfaction —to  them- 
selves, at  least.  And  that  too,  without  much,  if  any, 
destruction  or  impairment  of  the  most  loved  "  historic " 
street-corner  localities. 

It  is  a  great  comparative  comfort  to  ride  on  the  Parisian 
omnibus.  But  then,  during  the  busy  portions  of  the  day,  you 
must  go  to  the  starting  points  and  obtain  your  ticket,  or  you 
will  probably  never  get  an  opportunity  to  ride  outside.  In 
the  pleasant  months  of  the  year  it  is  "  one  grand  recreation  " 
for  the  Parisian  himself,  to  mount  his  city  car  and  take  the 
full  worth  of  a  through  ticket,  day  after  day. 

The  inhabitants  are  very  proud  of  their  loveliest  of  cities ; 
they  seem  never  to  tire  of  looking  it  all  over;  and  as  a  rule — 
even  as  we  found  it  in  Gothenburg — they  put  aside  all  their 
avocations  and  duties,  so  far  as  possible,  to  inform  a  stranger, 
or  to  carefully  direct  him  to  the  sources  where  he  can  best 
obtain  full  and  perfect  particulars.  Even  Boston  has  now  no 
superior  average  of  public-spirited  citizens,  in  this  respect 
and  manifestation. 

And  what  a  contrast  to  the  robbing  London  cabman  is 
this  most  polite  of  hack-drivers.  George  Augustus  Sala  had 
led  us  to  expect  quite  the  opposite.  (But  that  was  in  his 
letters  written  during  the  crowding  of  strangers  to  see  The 
Exposition.)  The  Parisian  "  cabby  "  is  not  only  courteous,  but 
precise  in  giving  you  the  time  or  distance,  and  explaining 
with  accuracy  what  the  fares  are  from  point  to  point.  With 
what  perfect  urbanity  he  listens  to  the  broken  French  that 
you  thrust  at  him  ;  doing  what  he  can  to  help  out  your  speech 


I 


BERLIN    TO    DOVER.  375 

or  to  make  sure  of  your  intentions,  as  though  he  had  t2en  a 
servant  in  your  family  all  the  clays  of  his  life.  And  if  he 
hears  you  pleading  for  a  special  privilege  anywhere— on 
account,  for  instance,  of  your  mistaking  about  the  hour 
when  a  public  institution  would  be  open  to  view,  or  the  like 
of  that — how  quickly  and  strongly,  and  yet  withal  how  defer- 
entially towards  you,  he  comes  to  your  support!  "Surely 
you  must  let  the  American  gentleman  in,  if  it  is  possible." 
Adding  in  an  undertone  :  "  The  people  of  his  republic  are 
friendly  to  France.'  And  if  you  ask  him  to  be  your  guide, 
and  lay  the  full  responsibility  and  dignity  of  direction  and 
appointment  upon  him,  with  a  happy  sense  of  the  confidence 
reposed  he  picks  up  his  reins  and  starts  on  the  rounds  ;  never 
missing  a  point  in  all  his  routes,  or  failing  to  turn  about  in 
due  proximity  to  a  gallery  or  a  church  or  a  monument  or  a 
panorama,  and  ask  in  his  own  way :  "  Monsieur  has  probably 

seen  the ?     '  No  ! '     Then  we   are  close  to  it,  and  it  is 

[or  is  not]  worth  Monsieur's  time  to  step  out  and  pay  a  visit 
to  it." 

O,  most  excellent  of  conductors  and  city  coach  and  cab- 
box  companions  !  No  wonder  that  a  famous  German  song- 
stress could  not  forbear  chanting  thy  praises,  in  a  recent 
poetical  epistle. 

Now  that  we  have  seen  Notre  Dame  Cathedral— the  glories 
of  its  fretted  arches  and  stained  windows,  and  the  riches  of 
its  ecclesiastical  regalia,  and  the  robes  of  its  martyred  prel- 
ates—have gained  and  enjoyed  the  magnificent  view  from 
the  accessible  tower,  will  we  see  "  the  ghastly  sight  ?  "  He 
remarks  that  "  Some  persons,  especially  ladies,  do  not  wish 
to  see  it ;  but  as  the  place  is  convenient  to  the  cathedral, 
perhaps  we  would  like  to  stop  on  this  route?"  He  does  not 
even  name  the  place.  What  a  delicacy  there  is  in  this  !  But 
of  course  we  comprehend  at  once  that  he  means  The  Morgue. 
"  Some  will  wish  to  see  it,"— with  true  French  inquiring  sug- 
gestiveness.  Only  three  bodies  on  this  particular  morning — 
old,  middle-aged  and  young.  The  veteran  was  said  to  be 
over  70  ;  a  small,  deeply-wrinkled  face,  but  with  a  strong, 
thick  shock  of  gray  hair.  The  second  body  was  that  of  a 
very  large  man,  whose  v/ater-bloated  carcass  had  evidently 


376  NORTHERN   EUROPE. 

been  much  distended  by  a  regular  course  of  alcoholism  before 
he  tumbled  into  the  Seine.  Number  3  is  a  tall,  slim  youth 
of  not  more  than  23  years,  with  an  Irish  cast  of  coun- 
tenance and  with  a  big  mark  of  contusion  on  the  left  side  of 
his  head.  Strange  it  is  to  observe  a  smile  in  the  expression 
of  his  mouth,  while  his  eyes  seem  sparkling  rather  than 
glassed  in  death.  The  clothes  of  the  three  are  hung  on  a 
rack  at  one  side,  and  all  indicate  that  they  are  laboring  men. 
There  are  but  few  persons  in  attendance — not  over  a  dozen — 
and  none  who  appear  to  be  attracted  by  anything  but  idle  or 
morbid  curiosity.  "Sometimes,"  our  driver  says,  "it  is  very 
hard  to  hear  the  shrieking  that  comes  from  that  little  house. 
But," — (he  adds,  in  another  tone,  and  with  a  characteristic 
French  shrug) — "  not  more  than  one  out  of  twenty  that  are 
exposed  here  are  identified  by  anybody  that  has  any  special 
love  for  them." 

Will  we  go  to  the  Garden  of  Plants  ?  The  managerie  will 
be  sure  to  please  the  child.  We  go.  In  the  crowd  we  can 
see  less  of  the  animals  than  at  Dresden,  and  perhaps  on  that 
account  think  it  is  an  inferior  exhibition.  But  the  garden 
proper  is,  of  its  kind,  unsurpassed.  Here  the  attendants  get 
from  one  to  five  francs  a  day  ;  from  the  boy  that  waters  and 
feeds  the  pigeons  up  to  the  master  of  the  tigers  and  the 
keeper  of  the  elephants.  The  women  who  sell  a  drink  that 
answers  in  insipidity  to  the  Swedish  sept — we  are  carefully 
informed — make  more  on  Sundays  and  holidays  than  the 
wages  of  any  of  the  men  in  charge  of  the  premises,  except 
the  house-warmer  and  blanket-keeper  for  the  snakes.  The 
Anaconda  Boss  gets  seven  francs  a  day,  and  is  not  to  be 
accounted  among  the  ordinary  workmen  in  the  garden.  He 
resembles  Lei  and  Stanford. 

Most  of  the  French  children  that  we  meet  or  see  in  our 
"rounds"  seem  to  be  not  merely  happy,  but  enthusiastically 
so.  I  will  not  say  that  they  are  unnaturally  excited,  as  some 
have  written,  in  effect,  of  the  whole  brood  of  Gallic  offspring. 
It  is  natural  with  them  to  be  very  lively  ;  but  they  are  not 
any  more  boisterous  than  are  our  own  young  folks  of  similar 
ages  and  otherwise  adapted  for  just  comparison. 

And  observe  how  good-natured,  to  the  degree  of  jollity,  are 


BERLIN    TO    DOVER.  377 

the  majority  of  the  laborers  upon  the  public  streets ;  where  it 
does  appear  that  the  hardest  work  is  done.  We  ask  the 
driver  to  make  an  excuse  and  stop  by  the  side  of  some  of 
these  men  who  are  engaged  in  laying  down  a  wooden  pave- 
ment, while  we  venture  on  a  little  questioning.  They  get 
four  francs  a  day ;  and,  taking  their  habit  of  life  and  the 
cost  of  bread  and  meat  and  onions  or  garlic  into  account,  we 
judge  that  in  the  matter  of  pay  they  are  about  ten  or  fifteen 
per  cent,  from  a  wages-par  with  laborers  upon  the  public 
streets  of  New  York.  That  is,  when  their  pay  and  the  cost 
of  their  living  and  the  like  are  all  duly  considered. 

Will  we  look  in  at  the  panorama  of  the  Bastile  ?  We  have 
to  wait  a  half  hour  before  we  can  gain  admission  here,  or  at 
the  panorama  of  the  city  of  Paris — the  number  within  being 
limited  to  threescore,  and  the  waiting  attendance  being  four 
times  that  number  on  our  "  circuit  day  "  under  this  guidance. 
The  arrangements  within  are  the  same  as  at  Dresden,  as 
hereinbefore  described.  A  new  rotunda,  with  central  plat- 
form and  umbrella  and  embankment  margin  and  canvas  walls 
— representing  an  ineifectual  effort  to  dislodge  the  Germans 
from  a  forest  in  the  suburbs  of  Paris — has  just  been  opened ; 
and  we  act  upon  the  suggestion  that  we  might  desire  to  look 
in  upon  this  also.  You  are  not  surprised  to  hear  that  many 
persons  visit  these  paintings  several  times  in  the  year — that 
is,  those  paintings  which  have  been  on  exhibition  long  enough 
to  test  and  establish  popularity. 

The  people  of  the  Arrondissement  in  which  we  sojourn  will 
hold  an  election  on  Sunday.  We  attend  at  the  polls  to  see 
the  gathering.  Our  viev^r  is  in  a  large  hall ;  and  nothing 
could,  under  the  circumstances,  be  more  orderly.  Why,  we 
have  seen  town  meetings  in  staid  old  Berkshire  Count}'', 
Massachusetts,  that  were  proportionately  more  tumultuous. 
I  speak  of  demonstrations  in  noisy  conversations,  and  the 
like.  Of  course,  strong  feeling  is  exhibited ;  but  here  again 
the  politeness  of  the  race  comes  in :  this  time  manifested  by 
all  classes  to  each  other,  and  from  representatives  of  one 
body  of  citizens  to  every  other  class. 

But  "  Did  I  not  discover  that  the  French  are  sore  over  their 
defeat  by  the  Germans,  and  determined  to  avenge  Sedan  at 


378  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

the  earliest  practicable  period?"  Well,  yes,  many  told 
me— speaking  usually  in  what,  for  a  Frenchman,  might  be 
termed  a  phlegmatic  manner — that  the  time  would  come 
when  they  would  get  even ;  but  most  of  these  men  defer  the 
next  war  until  the  next  generation, — candidly  admitting  that 
they  were  not  prepared  for  it  now,  and  probably  would  not 
be  for  the  next  20  years.  "  But  the  time  would  come  !  Ah, 
yes  :  the  time  would  come  !  "  That  would  do  for  a  legacy  to 
their  children ;  and  their  children  would  bear  it  in  mind. 
And  when  we  pleasantly  and  gently  referred  to  the  superiority 
in  numbers  of  the  Gennan  armies,  w^e  were  told  that  France 
was  richer  than  Germany,  and  would  one  day  be  more  popu- 
lous than  that  Germany  which  the  Berlin  monarchy  could  hold 
together.  "  See  !  "  they  would  exclaim  ;  '•  see  !  How  rich 
France  is  !  How  quickly  she  paid  off,  or  arranged  to  pay  off, 
her  indebtedness !  It  astonished  the  world,  and  well  it 
might.  But  France,  for  its  size,  is  the  richest  countrj^  on  the 
globe."  You  will  probably  be  told  this  many  times,  and  with 
many  substantiating  details,  if  you  open  this  line  of  inquiiy 
and  conversation. 

They  think  that  Americans  should  sympathize  with  them 
very  deepty,  now  that  France  is  a  republic  ;  and  it  was  the  un- 
derstanding with  most  of  those  with  Avhom  I  had  communi- 
cations on  this  subject,  that  our  people,  as  a  rule,  do  feel  a 
special  interest  and  hope  in  the  future  of  the  new  Govern- 
ment. Often  and  long  v/e  talked  of  the  origin  and  promotion 
of  the  Bartholdi  Statue  project,  and  the  significance  it  already 
had  and  would  acquire.  In  one  company  I  quoted  the  lines 
of  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes  on  "  The  Sunny  Land  of  France  :  " 
— the  paragraph  where  he  describes  how 

"  The  city  slept  beneath  the  moonbeam's  jrlance. 
Her  white  walls   gleaming  througli  the  vines  of  France. 
And  all  was  hushed  save  where  the  footsteps  fell 
On  some  high  tower,  of  midnight  sentinel. 
But  one  still  watched  :  no  self-encircled  woes 
Chased  from  his  side  the  angel  of  repose  ; 
He  watched,  he  i^'ept,  for  thoughts  of  bitter  years 
Bowed  his  dark  lashes,  wet  with  burning  tears  ; 
His  country's  suflFering  and  her  children  s  shame. 
Streamed  o'er  his  memory  like  a  forest  tiame. 
Each  treasured  insult,  each  remembered  wrong. 
Rolled  through  his  heart,  and  kindled  into  song. 
His  taper  faded  ;  and  the  morning  gales 
Swept  through  the  world  the  war-song  of  INIarseilles." 


BERLIN  TO  DOVER. 


179 


I 


And  from  my  English  recitation,  and  an  attempt  to  trans- 
late, I  aroused  such  an  interest  in  it — such  a  curiosity  about 
it,  I  may  say — that  I  am  sure  the  lines  are  by  this  time 
worthily  written  in  French  hexameter.  I  wondered  that  there 
was  no  rendering  of  it  long  ago  in  their  best  frame-work  of 
song.  But  let  me  be  satisfied  if  I  did  not  mutilate  it,  in  the 
Gallic  tongue,  in  vain  ! 

Close  by  our  little  hotel  was  the  Church  of  St.  Roch,  a  huge 
building,  with  two  great  altars,  so  to  speak— the  one  directly 
behind  the  other.  The  latter  is  not  in  a  lady  chapel ; — for  I 
should  say  thai  the  rear  church-room  and  appointments  were 
too  large  to  admit  of  that  term.  \\'e  remarked  that  the 
front  of  the  church  was  draped  for  a  funeral ;  some  notable 
person  was  to  be  buried  on  one  day  of  our  observation.  We 
went  in  and  saw  a  bier  placed  high  above  the  altar  rails  in 
the  body  of  the  church  ;  but  no  one  was  near  it.  The  strains 
of  mournful  music  were  heard  proceeding  from  the  farther 
end.  We  met  a  funeral  procession  coming  out  from  the  in- 
terior gates  on  the  left-hand  aisle,  headed  by  a  priest,  who 
was  chanting,  and  a  trombone  performer,  who  was  sounding  a 
dirge-accompaniment.  The  procession  marched  down  nearly 
as  far  as  the  threshold  of  the  great  door — a  distance  of  two 
hundred  feet  or  more — and  there  the  music  ceased,  and  the 
coffin,  which  had  been  carried  between  four  liveried  men  in 
a  dansflinir  and  indifferent  manner,  was  lowered  to  a  stretcher 
which  was  brought  up  behind  the  weeping  widow  and  her 
family  train.  Then  all  the  gentlemen  in  the  line — fully  three 
score  of  them— shook  hands  with  the  widow  and  other  relations 
of  the  deceased  who  were  present ;  and  all  the  ladies  and  many 
of  the  srentlemen  in  attendance  embraced  and  kissed  the 
widow  with  great  heartiness,  and  I  should  say  with  vehemence 
that  approached  to  violence.  They  smacked  the  poor  little 
woman  on  each  cheek  with  an  intensity  of  ardor  that  was 
painful  to  behold — and  to  hear  !  And  1  could  not  help  ob- 
serving, after  the  ceremony  was  over  and  the  marching  re- 
sumed, that  her  face — the  right  side  particularly,  which 
received  the  first  force  of  these  strong  consoling  osculations, 
appeared  as  though  it  had  been  slapped  or  poulticed  to  the 
verge  of  blistering. 


380  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

Going  up  St.  Roch  street  a  few  evenings  prior  to  our  de- 
parture, I  saw  through  an  oijen  window  a  very  old  man  read- 
ing a  newspaper  to  his  wife,  who  could  not  have  been  much 
his  junior.  There  was  a  crowd  at  the  point  on  the  narrow 
sidewalk,  so  that  all  must  needs  hear  the  passages,  which  in  a 
voice  expressive  of  deep  emotion  the  old  man  was  slowly- 
making  audible.  It  was  the  story  of  a  poor  girl  who  had 
been  her  mother's  only  support  for  years,  suddenly  thrown  on 
a  bed  of  sickness.  There  was  an  appeal  in  the  paper  for 
help,  and  before  the  crowd  diminished  so  that  I  could  push 
on  my  way,  the  aged  pair  within  had  put  on  their  hats  and 
made  ready  to  go  to  the  scene  of  distress.  I  marked  the 
spot — a  little  thread  and  needle  store — and  went  in  there,  the 
next  day.  After  purchasing  some  trifle,  I  asked  how  the  poor 
girl  was  whom  they  had  visited  the  preceding  night.  What  I 
knew  and  how  I  came  to  know  what  little  (much,  it  seemed  to 
them)  that  I  did  know  about  their  going  to  that  place,  was  a 
matter  of  tormenting  curiosity  to  these  good  folks.  They 
had  not  dreamed  that  any  stranger  in  the  wide,  wide  world 
was  aware  of  their  going  ;  certainly  they  could  not  understand 
how  they  had  been  identified  as  charitable  visitors  at  that 
bedside  ?  But  I  got  my  information  in  reply  to  my  surprising 
question : — which  information  was  to  the  effect  that  they  and 
others  had  supplied  all  immediate  necessities,  and  that  there 
would  be  no  suffering  in  that  garret  if  they  could  help  it. 
And  they  could  help  it  (this  last  said  with  great  emphasis). 
But  I  was  called  back  to  be  told  that  there  was  "  a  grand 
lady  from  America  "  whose  "  house-word  "  had  been  sent  to 
this  chamber  of  affliction  before  these  old  people  got  there ; 
and  I  understood  that  it  was  expected,  according  to  the  mes- 
sage, that  she  or  her  immediate  messenger  would  come  on 
the  following  day.  Word  had  been  sent  that  no  comfort 
for  the  girl  or  the  mother  should  be  lacking.  With  some 
difficulty,  I  got  her  name.  It  transpired  that,  whether  she 
was  in  Paris  or  elsewhere,  her  instructions  to  take  notice  of 
private  or  personal  appeals  for  help  to  poor  families,  made  it 
certain  that  no  such  item  as  the  one  referred  to  would  go  un- 
observed by  her  home  representatives. 

When  I  listened  to  the  Duke  of  Cambridge,  in  the  British 


BERLIN   TO  DOVER. 


381 


House  of  Lords,  uttering  his  arguments  and  denunciations 
against  the  Channel  Tunnel — opportunely  supplied  with  facts 
and  figures  by  the  then  recent  victor  of  Alexandria — I  could 
not  restrain  a  sentiment  of  indignation,  which  I  fully  expected 
would  be  revived  and  intensified  when  I  had  occasion — as 
occasion  I  needs  must  have — to  cross  that  little,  narrow  divi- 
sion of  water,  which  is  so  notorious,  the  world  over,  for  its 
pitching  perturbations !  Would  not  every  sea-sick  passenger 
anathematize  the  Duke  who  so  powerfully  denounced  the 
tunnel  project  ?     But  I  never  thought  of  the   Duke,  nor  of 


STEAMSHIP    CITY    OF    BERLIN. 


General  Wolseley — no,  not  for  a  moment — on  the  water  sec- 
tion of  the  trip  between  the  two  great  Capitals  of  Europe  ; 
for,  while  the  day  before  had  been  so  rough  as  to  absolutely 
preclude  the  passage  of  steamers  from  Calais  to  Dover,  at 
the  time  of  our  crossing  the  sea  was  as  smooth  as  the  Pacific 
Ocean  in  its  calmest  mood.  Of  necessity,  with  small  steam- 
ers of  such  sharp  build  as  make  this  trip  for  passenger  con- 
nection, there  will  be  rolling  and  teetering  at  the  best ;  and, 
as  the  medical  chairman  of  tho  Dinner  of  Poisons,  in  Dickens' 
celebrated  tale  of  fashionable  French  suicides,  had  occasion  to 
remark  :    "  Some  folks  will  be  so  provoking  as  to  get  a  little 


382 


NORTHERN   EUROPE. 


BERLIN   TO  DOVER.  383 

nervous  and  eructious  before  the  proper  time,  when  they  know 
that  they  are  apt  to  have  actual  cause  in  a  little  while." 

From  the  proportion  of  passengers  who  are  talking  of  their 
preferences  for  trans-Atlantic  steamship  lines,  it  is  certain 
that  a  majority  are  old  travellers;  and  we  note  the  fact  that 
the  most  experienced  seem  to  favor  the  Inman  Company's 
boats  and  management ;  many  being  very  emphatic  in  their 
praise  of  the  officering  and  accommodations  on  the  City  of 
Berlin. 

Many  passengers  who  make  this  trip  for  the  first  time,  on 
the  run  from  the  Continent  to  England,  will  certainly  feel  in- 
clined to  put  the  inquiry  of  surprise  to  the  typical  John  Bull, 
as  that  captain  paces  his  central  deck  in  command  of  the  ferry 
vessel,"  Where  are  the  White  cliffs  of  Dover?"  Not  at  this 
season  of  the  year,  at  all  events,  does  the  color  of  the  British 
headlands,  as  presented  to  the  eye  of  the  approaching  visitor, 
suggest  or  justify  this  adjective.  Cliffs,  sure  enough ;  and 
higher  and  more  precipitous  by  far  than  the  pictures  or  pho- 
tographs usually  represent  them.  And  squarely  against  the 
breast  of  one  of  them,  the  keen-edged  vessel  runs  its  nose, 
when  it  slips  up  to  the  dock. 

Before  the  passage  across  is  half-way  completed,  you  can 
discern,  with  the  aid  of  your  own  or  the  vessel's  sea-glass, 
the  lower  promontories, — the  light-house  and  castle  of  Dover  ; 
and  before  you  arrive  at  the  landing,  there  is  a  good  half-hour 
of  clear  vision— on  a  cloudless  day — of  the  populated  heights, 
and  the  great  warehouses  of  the  town.  But  think  you  that 
the  nevir  people  on  board  are  giving  much  audible  expression 
to  their  thoughts  with  respect  to  these  structures  or  their  sur- 
roundings ?  Not  a  bit  of  it !  But  just  as  we  cross  the  line 
of  the  castle's  longitude,  we  are  mutually  surprised— a  score 
or  more  of  us — by  a  loud  chorus  of  agreeing  curiosity  and 
anxiety, — the  preceding  solo  of  interrogation,  coming  from  the 
youngest  in  the  multitude  that  stood  upon  that  deck  ;  — about 
the  probable  location  of  the  cottage  which  was  once  occupied 
by  no  less  personages  than  Betsy  Trotwood,  Mr.  Dick  and 
David  Copperfield  ?  One  set  inquire  as  to  its  whereabouts, 
within  what  limits  it  necessarily  must  be;  while,  simulta- 
neously, others,  of  the  number  indicated,  have  a  positive  judg- 


384  NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

ment  in  the  premises  at  once.  Many  separately  exclaiming 
as  they  point,  '■''There  is  where  little  David  must  have  seen  the 
donkeys  on  the  lawn  and  heard  his  benevolent  but  irritable 
relative  call  out  to  Janet,  just  before  he  put  in  an  appear- 
ance and  identified  himself,  in  the  garden  adjoining  the  cot- 
tage." The  fact  is,  that  at  the  place  or  point  where  Aunt 
Betsy's  cottage  once  stood  —  of  which  a  literally  exact  de- 
scription was  given  by  the  great  novelist — lodging-houses  of 
a  very  expensive  size  and  style  are  now  to  be  seen.  (Says 
Alfred  Rimmer — the  author  of  that  delightful  book,  ""^  About 
Eiigland  with  Dickens  .•" — "  Miss  Trotwood's  house  was  not 
far  from  Dover  Castle,  which  rises  magnificently  toward  the 
sea  at  an  abrupt  elevation  of  between  three  and  four  hundred 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  water.  The  French  coast  is  clearly 
visible  at  times  from  here,  and  whenever  it  is  seen,  rainy 
weather  is  not  far  off.  Donkeys  will  always  be  found,  and  no 
doubt  they  trespass  as  much  as  the  donkeys  of  Miss  Trot- 
wood's time  did.") 

And  then  again,  we  are  surprised — or  we  should  have  been 
if  we  had  not  heard  the  same  thing  a  few  months  before,  under 
somewhat  similar  circumstances — we  are  surprised  to  over- 
hear expressions  of  wonder  on  the  part  of  English  ladies  and 
gentlemen — for  such  they  undoubtedly  gave  evidence  of  be- 
ing— with  reference  to  our  manifested  extensive  and  intimate 
acquaintance  with  and  love  for  the  writings  of  the  dead  nov- 
elist. And  some  of  these, — (perhaps  you  will  say  that  they, 
for  once,  impeached  their  standing  in  manners  by  so  doing), 
expressed  their  contempt  for  that  "  vulgar  author  /'  who — 
be  it  understood  from  them — was  never  permitted  to  circulate 
freely  in  first-class  society  in  his  native  land !  He  was  an 
author,  they  averred,  who  could  not  thoroughly  "interpret" 
the  "nobler  classes"  of  the  English-speaking  race,  as  they 
were  seen  in  all  the  higher  walks  of  social  life  in  Great 
Britain !  Such  was  the  substance  of  current  remarks  in  the 
quarter  indicated.  It  appeared  as  though  our  mild  protests 
and  our  quotations  of  the  British  public's  own  words  and 
deeds  in  opposition  to  this  criticism,  only  served  to  focalize 
upon  ourselves  a  personal  judgment. 

People  of  the  United  States  should  place  at  least  one 


BERLIN  TO  DOVER.  ■      38c 

more  Memorial  Window  in  England.  This  time,  if  such  a 
thing  be  possible,  it  should  be  in  close  o'er-setting  proximity 
to  the  body  of  the  Benefactor,  whom  it  might  even  thus 
seem — to  some  beholders— to  honor  defiantly,  as  well  as  in  a 
most  appropriate  form  of  appreciation  and  gratitude:— a 
splendid,  conspicuous  and  long-enduring  testimonial,  shining 
as  near  as  Dean  and  Chapter  will  let  it^  above  or  adjacent  to 
the  grave  of  Charles  Dickens, 


SHORTHAND   AND   REPORTING. 

A  LECTURE   BY 


i 


CHARLES  A.  SUMNER. 

New  edition :  with  a  portrait ;  several  pages  of  the  lecture  stereo- 
graphed  in  phonography  ;  a  great  body  of  notes  ;  and  a  biographical 
sketch  of  the  lecturer.     114  pp. 

"  One  of  the  most  instructive  volumes,  and  certainly  tlie  cheapest  book  ever  issued."— 
Siudenis'  Journal. 

"  '  Shorthand  and  Reporting'  is  a  valuable  historical  record,  containing  much  informia- 
tion  entirely  new  to  me."— WM.  INGRAHAM   KIP,  Bishop  of  California. 

"  I  venture  to  express  the  hope  that  you  may  awaken  a  proper  interest  in  the  subject 
on  the  part  of  those  who  control  our  educational  institutions.  If  you  do,  you  will  deserve 
to  rank  as  a  public  benefactor.  Your  historical  matter  is  admirably  presented,  and  your 
practical  suggestions  are  of  the  highest  value." — HON.  A.  A.  SAKCiENT,  U.  S.  S. 

PRICE  10  CENTS,  POST  PAID. 

Published  and  for  sale  by  ANDREW  J.  GRAHAM. 

744  Broadway,  New  York  City. 


STANDARD-PHOiXOGRAPIIIC 
AND  OTHER  WORKS. 

ANDREW  J.  GRAHAM, 

AUTHOR  AND  PUBLISHER. 

744  BROADWAY,  NEW  YORK. 


PHONOGRAPHY  is  :i  Blioi-tliand  system  of  writing  accnrdius  to  souud  or  pi-onun- 
ciatioii,  rctjectiu','  silent  letters  and  aniljiguous  signs.  The  original  system  (Steno- 
graphic Sound-Hand,  18:i7)  was  an  improvement  by  Isa:ic  Pitman,  of  England,  on 
the  system  of  Harding  (1823,  1828),  which  was  a:i  improvement  on  the  system  of 
Samuel  Taylor  (1780). 

"  EDITlOyS"  OF  THE  OLD  PHONOGRAPHY.-lha  Old  Phonography  was  va- 
riously modified.  The  different  moilillcations,  or  systems,  called  "  editions,"  were 
pubiished— First  edition,  in  1837  ;  Second  edition,  Jan.,  1810  ;  Third  edition,  Dec, 
1840;  Fourth  edition,  1841  ;  Fifth  edition,  1812  ;  Si.Yth  edition,  1844  ;  Seventli 
edition,  1845, •  Eighth  edition,  1847  ;  Xinth  edition,  1S53.  This  last  and  best  edi- 
tion was  made  tlie  basis  of  Standard  riionography.  See  Odds  a.n'd  Exds  for  an  ac- 
count of  the  characteristics  of  these  "  editions." 


"  Standard  Phonography  is  now  acknowledged  by  the  most  accomplished  phonog- 
raphers  to  be  the  best  system  of  shorthand  writing  that  has  ever  been  offered  to  tlie 
world.  In  the  Adaptation  of  its  Characters  to  the  sounds  of  our  language,  in  its 
Legibility,  in  its  Powers  of  Contraction,  in  the  Rapidity  with  whicli  it  can  be  writ- 
ten, in  the  liOgical  and  Convenient  ^  rrangement  and  Presentation  of  its  Principles, 
and  in  its  Ease  of  Actiuisition,  it  imnuastirablij  surpasses  every  other  st/stcm  of  short- 
hand.—Frof.  John  B.  Holmes,  A.  Jr.,  LL.  B. 

"  The  only  system  worth  the  attempt  to  learn."— Chas.  A.  Sum.ner.  the  leading 
reporter  of  San  Francisco. 

"  Standard  Phonography  is  the  most  philosophical,  rapid,  and  boaiitifiil  system 
of  shorthand  writing  ever  invented.     The  system   of  Phonography  as    now  used,  is 


n 

the  result  of  the  labor  and  study  of  Andrew  J.  Graham,  by  wliom  Pitman's  system  was 
used  as  a  basis,  wliile  he  has  wade  very  luauy  alteratiuus,  aud  added  inauy  new 
features  [uew  principles,  rules,  couibiuatious,  devices,  coutractious,  aud  word- 
signs],  making  it  at  once  the  most  unique  and  useful  system  of  writing  that  can  be 
imagined." — Haverhill   Gazette. 

IMITATlOys. — See  comparisons  of  them  with  Standard  I'lioiiography  In  Xos. 
27  and  72  of  the  Student's  Joirxal,  where  the  demonstration  is  tomiilete  that  the 
imitations  require  about  one  tllil'd  more  labor  aud  space  than  Standard  Phonogra- 
phy; and  are  inferior  in  every  oilier  respect.  See  Visitor  Vol.  II.,  for  an  overwhelm- 
ing body  of  testimonials  from  the  best  reporters  of  the  country,  against  the  inferi- 
or imitations  aud  in  favor  of  Standard  Phonography.  See  Chas.  A.  Sumner's  Lec- 
ture ou  Shorthand  and  Reporting. 


THE  STA1VDAR9-FHONOGRAPHIC  SERIES. 
"  A  more  complete  series  of  works  on  any  subject  than  Mr.  Graham's  Standard- 
Phunographic  Series  has  never  been  published.  These  Te-xt-Books  are  the  only  ones 
that  are  perfect  in  themselves  ;  and,  in  no  respect,  could  I  suggest  an  improve- 
ment in  the  manner  of  bringing  the  subject  before  even  the  dullest  student;  and 
the  introduction  of  them  into  all  institutions  of  learning,  where  Phonogra])hy  is 
taught,  is  the  highest  compliment  that  can  be  paid  to  their  merit." — Charles  Flow- 
ers, a  superior  reporter. 

Tike  Outline.— In  Miniature  Book-form,  bound  in  paper,  5  cents.  One  Doz- 
en, 30  cents. 

Tlie  liittle  Teaclier.— Comprises ;  1.  The  Octline,  presenting  all  the 
chief  elements  of  Standard  Phonography  in  eight  primer-size  pages  ;  2.  The  Little 
Heading  Exercises— furnishing  in  Iti  little  pages  an  exercise  on  each  section  of  the 
Outline.  3.  Miniature  edition  of  Tue  Correspondent's  List  of  Word-Signs,  Con- 
tractions, Phrase-Signs,  Prefixes,  and  Affixes  of  the  Corresponding  Style.  JSS'  The 
Little  Teacher  is  a  useful  pocket  companion  for  students  of  the  Synopsis  ur  Hand- 
Book.     Price,  40  cents. 

Tlie  Synopsis.— Xew  and  Improved  edition. — Comprises:  1.  The  Synopxis  {in 
16  duodecimo  pages)  of  all  the  Principles  of  the  Corresponding  Style,  unmistakably 
l)resented,  with  numerous  engraved  illustrations.  2.  The  Reading  Exercises — in 
which  there  is  an  extended  illustration  and  application  of  each  section  of  the  text  ; 
followed  by  several  pages  of  connected  reading  matter,  with  an  interlined  transla- 
tion. 3.  "  The  Correspondent's  List"— 12mo  edition— comprising  an  alphabetical 
list  of  Corresponding  Word-Signs,  Contractions.  Phrase-Signs,  Prefixes,  aud  Affix- 
es. This  edition  is  well  adapted  to  the  use  of  either  Classes  or  Private  Students, 
50  cents.  JKS"  This  is  a  highly  useful  book  for  students  of  the  Hand-Book  ;  in  mak- 
ing frequent  reviews  of  the  elements. 

Tlie  Hand-Book.— Presents  every  principle  of  every  style  of  the  Art— com- 
mencing with  the  analysis  of  words,  and  proceeding  to  the  most  rapid  Reporting 
Style— in  such  a  Form  and  Manner,  with  such  Fullness  of  Explanation  and  Com- 
1  lateness  of  Illustration,  and  with  such  other  features  as  to  fully  adapt  the  work  to 
the  use  of  Schools  and  to  Self-Instruction.  The  analysis  and  classification  of  the 
of  the  sounds  of  the  voice  (given  in  the  Appendix  to  Part  ID,  will  furnish  invalua- 
ble assistance  to  those  wishing  to  get  the  correct  pronunciation  of  any  foreign  lan- 
guage. 366  duodecimo  pages.  Price,  bound  in  muslin,  with  embossed  side-title. 
$2.00;  post-paid,  $2.10. 

"  Full,  Concise  and  PniLOSopnicAL  in  its  development  of  the  theory  of  writing 
by  sound,  Admiradle  in  its  arrang:ement,  and  Replete  with  Improvements  and  re- 


Ill 

flnements  on  the  Art  as  previously  defined,  it  aflfords  the  learner  a  safe  means  of 
oUaiiuny  a  speed  in  reporting  at  least  one-fourth  yreati.r  than  can  be  acquired  by  any 
other  method.  " — Xew  Yurh  Herald. 

First  Reader.— New  and  Revised  Edition  ;  Stereographed  in  the  Corres- 
pondiug  Stylo  ;  with  interpaged  Key  ;  with  Questions  ;  and  with  Notes.  $1.75; 
postpaid,  >1.81.     Key  separate,   with  Questions  and  Notes  ;  50c.;  postpaid,  5ic. 

Second  Reader.— Engraved  in  the  Reporting  Style,  with  Key  and  Notes. 
To  be  studied  in  connection  with  the  Reporting-Style  chapter  of  the  Hand-Book. 
f  1.75  ;  postlJaid,  $1.81. 

Staudard-Plionograpliic  Ittictionary.- "The  last  great  crowning 
workot  the  Standard  Series,  ■•  gives  the  pronunciation  and  the  best  outlines 
(Corresponding,  Advanced  Corresponding,  and  Reporting)  ol  about  GO.OOO  words, 
and  the  loruis  lor  about  OO.OUU  phrases.  Beyond  comparison  with  any  shorthand 
dictionary  or  vocabulary  ever  published.  Invaluable  to  writers  of  either  style. 
Cloth,  $5 ;  genuine  morocco,  $7  ;  (Octavo-form  from  the  same  plates,  with  wide 
margins),  cloth,  $G  ;  leather,  $8  ;  morocco,  iU. 

Tlie  Reporter's  List.— In  preparation— with  engraved  forms  and  ex- 
plauatious— in  pocket-size  pages.  It  will  combine,  in  one  list,  all  the  Word-Signs 
and  Contractions  and  Phrase-Signs  of  the  Corresponding-Style  and  Reporting- 
Style  Lists  of  the  Hand-Book,  with  some  additions  from  the  Dictionary,  ar- 
ranged in  phonographic-alphabetical  order.  The  pages  appear  as  fast  as  ready 
in  the  Student's  Journal  commencing  with  the  1878  volume.  This  will  be  an 
invaluable  YaJe  Mecum  ("  go  with  me  ")  to  all  phonographic  students. 

L.ady  of  ttoe  I^alce.- By  Sir  Walter  Scott.  With  Frontispiece.  Stereo- 
graphed  in  the  advanced  corresponding  style,  with  interpaged  key  ;  and  with 
Notes.  Total  number  of  pages,  328.  Price.  $2;  pud..  i2.l(i.  Morocco.  S4  ; 
ppd.,  $1.10. 


■1 


PERIODICAL  VOLUITIES: 

Odd»>  and  Ends  (or  Phcnographic  Intelliyencer).— In  common  print.— Has  a 

variety  of  matter  of  interest  and  value  to  phonographers.    75  cents. 

Standard-Plionosrapliic  Visitor. 

Volume  1.  (Out  of  print).  Vol.2,  fl.i.".  :  ppd.,  $1.34.  Vol.3.  (41,1  pages  of 
common  print  and  G'24  pages  of  engraved  phonography),  $6  ;  ppd.  $('..25  (Out). 
Volume  4.  (376  pages  of  common  print  and  '2iH  pages  of  engraved  iihouography), 
?4 ;  ppd-  S4.20.  Vol.  5  (numbers  1  to  41,  1870),  8  pages  each  number,  mostly  in 
the  Reporting  Style  with  Notes — 12  cents  a  number  (Odd  numbers  only). 

THE  STUDENT'S  JOlTRNAIi. 

Bound  Volumes:— Vol.  1  (1872)  to  Vol.  4,  quarto.  S1.50.  each,  bound; 
ppd.  $1.05.  Vol.  5  (1870),  one  half  in  phonography,  $2.50;  ppd.  $2.05;  Vol.  0  (1877), 
to  13  (1844),  bound,  each,  $2.50  ;  ppd.  $2.05. 

Vol.  XIV  (18S5)— subscription,  $2— continues  the  Reporter's  List  (several  pages 
each  number),  unvocalized  corresponding-style  exercises  (with  key  and  ques- 
tions for  self-instruction),  vocalized  corresponding  style  exercises,  with  inter- 
linear key  ;  reporting-style  exercises  (with  key  and  questions  and  notes) ;  with 
much  valuable  matter  in  common  print  so  hyphenized  as  to  show  proper  phrase- 
writing  (part  in  the  con-esponding-style,  and  part  in  the  reporting-style).  Speci- 
men copies  on  application. 

THE  MIM  ITURE  SERIES. 
This  series  will  consist  of  little  volum!>s,  about  3  by  5  inches.    Now  ready  The 


Oullir.e,  The  Little  Reading  Exercises,  The  Correspondent's  List  (embraced  in  The 
LUlle  Teacher).  lu  jireparation,  The  Reporter's  List,  aud  various  little  reading 
books,  aud  works  of  rolcreuce. 


PHONOGRAIPHIC  ENVEIiOPS. 

15  cents  a  pack.  Glance  at  Standard  Phonography,  presenting  on  the  face  of  the 
envelop  (leaving  room  for  stamp  aud  address)  all  the  leadinj^  features  ot  ihe 
Art.  The  Lord's  Frajtr  in  the  Keportiug  Style.  The  Phonographic  Alphabet,  large 
size.     New  sorts  as  prepared  will  be  noticed  in  the  Student's  Journal. 


PHONOtiRAPHIC     STATION  EUY. 

Triple-Iiilie   Paper   for  phonographic  writing.  2.5  cents  a  quire. 
Keportiug  Cover,  50  cents.  Pencil  Note-Books,  12  cents. 

Phouograpliic  Steel  Peufs,    15  cents  a  dozen  ;  §1.52  per  box  of  12  doz. 


PHONOGKAPHIC  BOf'UMENTS. 

"All  About  PUonograpIay," — No.  27  Student's  Journal — answers 
numerous  questions  of  those  who  are  or  would  become  phouo<,'rapherB  ;  and 
demfiustrates  by  eomiJarisons  with  other  systems  the  gi-eat  superiority  of  Stand- 
ard Phonography.  2  cents.  For  distribution  as  circulars,  f  0  cents  a  hundred, 
( Jl.lO  postpaid).  With  space  for  writing  or  i^rinting  the  phonographic  Book- 
seller's  or  Teacher's  address. 

Sliortkaud  aud  Keporf  ing.  By  Charles  A.  Sumnee.  Part  engraved. 
10  ceuts. 

Popular  Uses  aud  Beuelits  of  Standard  Phonography.  Lecture  by 
Charles  A.  Sumner.    15  cents. 


BKIEF  liONGHAND. 

A  system  of  contractions  in  common  longhand  writing,  as  icnb=\i  cannot  be. 
A  new  and  improved  edition,  illustrating  "  Partial  Phonography,  "  that  is,  the 
combination  of  frequent  phouographic  word-forms  with  the  Brief  Longhand 
contractions.  03  cents.— This  work  contains  Directions  for  Correcting  Printer's 
Proofs,  and  the  Keys  to  the  exercises  embrace  remarks  upon  the  means  of  acquir- 
ing Ease  and  Correctness  in  Composition,  the  method  of  keeping  a  Common- 
place Book  aud  Index  Pverum,  the  most  useful  modes  of  reading,  etc. 


ENGLISH  GRAMMAR. 
Graham's  Synopsis  of  English    Grammar.    A  highly  original 
work,  in  which   the  leading  principles  of  grammar  are  presented   in  charts  or 
Glances,  followed  by  brief,  easy,  and  comprehensive   statements,   showing  the 
relations  of  the  principles.     75  cents. 


PRONOUNCING  AVORKS,  ETC. 

Easy  Spelling  and  Reading  Series.— 1— The  Phonetic  Spelling 
Book.  10  cents  :  postpaid.  12  cents  (Out).  II.  The  First  Phonetic  Reading  Book. 
15  cents  ;  postpaid,  17.  (III.  The  Second  Phonetic  Reading  Book  is  The  First 
Reader  Key). 

Phonetic  Quarterly,  Vol.  I.  A  general  historical  and  critical  review  of 
phonetic  printing  from  Hart,  1569,  to  tho  present  time.  Paper,  25  cents  ;  cloth 
40  cents. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  LOS  ANGELES 

THE  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 

This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below 


AUb  15    .. 


25nl-2,'M(3203) 


DI9 

?^95n     Sumner   - 


llotes   of  travel 
in   northern 


AA    000  702  496    l 


Europe, 


AUG   13 


]^mi 


Dl>9 
S95n 


